SUSSEX captain Ed Joyce hit a superb 130 as the visitors shaded an eventful opening day of the LV= County Championship match at Scarborough by closing on 315-8 from 95.2 overs.

Joyce recorded his fifth four-day century of the season as Yorkshire failed to get the success they would have hoped for after winning the toss, although they did hit back well late on.

The Ireland international, who fell lbw to Adil Rashid in the last over of the day, shared a third-wicket stand of 124 inside 44 overs with Craig Cachopa (53) and 68 inside 21 for the fourth with Luke Wright.

Although Jack Brooks led the late recovery with his 50th and 51st Championship wickets of the season with the second new ball, Yorkshire were rueing a costly drop by the usually excellent Adam Lyth at second slip with Cachopa on five before lunch.

Had Cachopa, facing Brooks, been taken by Lyth, Sussex would have been 55-3 in the 15th over and in a spot of bother having been inserted.

Instead they were allowed to build a challenging total which should have been more from a position of strength at 237-3 in the 75th.

They lost 5-78 as Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson all finished with two wickets on a decent pitch for batting.

Both sides will have mixed feelings about this day. Yorkshire will be frustrated at not bowling Sussex out in the day having elected to bowl, yet happy at restricting the damage.

Sussex will be pretty chuffed with their position in the game because three of the last four first-innings scores in Championship matches on this ground have been below 300, although at 237-3 they should have been looking at 400-plus.