FOR the third successive day the ease of batting in early afternoon proved deceptive as Sussex slipped from 101 without loss to 177 for five in their second innings against Durham.

Youngsters Phil Salt and Michael Burgess halted the decline and the visitors reached 193 for five in their second innings at tea, leading by 154.

After being largely untroubled in their opening stand, Harry Finch and Luke Wells were both playing away from their bodies with limited foot movement when they edged catches.

Following his 258 at Hove and 122 in the first innings here, Wells again batted impressively to make 58 and take his season's tally against Durham to 438.

Laurie Evans was also culpable in edging a loose shot to give James Weighell his second wicket, but Luke Wright and Stiaan van Zyl were unlucky.

Wright was lbw to the first ball of off-spinner Ryan Pringle's second spell, a long hop which barely left the ground to defeat an attempted pull.

Van Zyl cruised to 45 before being caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Michael Richardson off Graham Onions.