County Championship: Ed Joyce hundred holds up Yorkshire

Joyce has scored 37 first-class hundreds and 80 half-centuries during his career

Sussex skipper Ed Joyce made his fifth Championship century of the summer to frustrate title-chasing Yorkshire on day one at Scarborough.

He hit 15 fours before falling lbw to the final ball of the day, bowled by Adil Rashid, to leave Sussex on 315-8.

Joyce put on 124 with Craig Cachopa (53) and 68 with Luke Wright (52) after Ryan Sidebottom removed both openers.

New-ball partner Jack Brooks (2-88) passed 50 wickets for the season with two in consecutive overs after tea.

Leaders Yorkshire began the first round of Championship games since 24 July five points clear of Notts at the top, with Sussex 28 points adrift in fifth but still with a chance of forcing their way into title contention.

After being put in, the visitors lost Chris Nash (35) and Luke Wells (10) in quick succession to Sidebottom (2-64) after reaching 44-0, but Joyce and Cachopa staved off any threat of collapse as they batted together for 44 overs either side of lunch.

Cachopa was smartly caught by Adam Lyth at second slip off Tim Bresnan, but Wright was typically assertive as he collected seven fours in his 74-ball innings before the tidy Steve Patterson (2-53) bowled him off the inside edge.

Brooks then claimed his 50th scalp by winning an lbw decision against Steffan Piolet and had Ben Brown taken at third slip by Kane Williamson for good measure before stumps, with James Tredwell departing in similar fashion to Patterson.

Sussex director of cricket Mark Robinson:

"I am very happy with the way things went after we had been put in to bat and the great partnership between Ed Joyce and Craig Cachopa took the sting out of the attack.

"Ed is an outstanding player who has the capacity to go on. He doesn't bat to his ego and today he was back to his best.

"I had a feeling that to bat first was the right thing to do because the pitch feels a bit crusty and it will be interesting to see if it takes spin later on.

"The ball has seamed about all day and we knew the importance of getting through the first session."