For most of this match it has been the Yorkshire bowlers who have been under the spotlight for their poor performance.

On day three in Hove it was the frontline batsman who failed to perform.

Twelve wickets fell in all to leave Yorkshire on 29 for two in their second innings, still 246-runs away from making their hosts bat again.

The writing was on the wall early on, as the White Rose resumed on 17 for none in reply to Sussex's first-innings 548 for four declared.

Three wickets fell in the opening 28 balls.

Joe Sayers was the first to go, for six, ousted by Amjad Khan with the second delivery of the morning, before Anthony McGrath and captain Andrew Gale followed him.

Both played-on, for four and nought respectively, as Yorkshire were 33 for three.

The follow on target of 399 was distant, and when Jonny Bairstow (28) and Garry Ballance (25) were removed before lunch it was clear the Tykes were in for another long day.

Only opener Joe Root provided resistance and he continued his one-man defence into the afternoon session.

The 20-year-old played with real maturity, as the wickets continue to tumble around him, until a superb in-swinging yorker from debutante Wayne Parnell removed him for 70.

Ryan Sidebottom then played a loose shot to give the fast bowler a second victim in the over - leaving the Tykes on 198 for eight.

The collapse opened up the possibility that they might not pick up a single bonus point, but in Ajmal Shahzad and Steve Patterson they did at least find some resistance.

They added 75 for the ninth wicket, to pass the 200 and 250 mark, as Yorkshire salvaged two points.

However, Shahzad, overlooked by England for the second Test against Sri Lanka, was then caught sweeping off Monty Panesar for 32, before Patterson followed in the next over for a career-best 53 as the innings came to a rapid conclusion.

It left Yorkshire staring at a 275-run first-innings deficit on 273 all-out - with their damaging day far from complete as Sussex's captain Michael Yardy decided to enforce the follow-on.

Just 14 balls had been bowled before the home side were celebrating their first breakthrough.

Sayers again fell early, as the opener went for a duck when he presented Ed Joyce with a simple catch at second slip off Parnell.

His wicket left Yorkshire on 9-1 - before their misery was then completed as Root was given out lbw with the final ball of the day for 20.

SCORECARD

Sussex v Yorkshire
At Hove.
Overnight: Sussex 548-4 dec (M W Goodwin
274 no, L W P Wells 174).Yorkshire 21-
0.
Yorkshire First Innings
J E Root b Parnell 70
J J Sayers c Joyce b Khan 6
A McGrath b Khan 4
A W Gale b Parnell 0
J M Bairstow c Yardy b Anyon 28
G S Ballance lbw b Panesar 25
A U Rashid lbw b Wernars 24
A Shahzad c Wernars b Panesar 32
R J Sidebottom c Hodd b Parnell 0
S A Patterson b Wernars 53
O J Hannon-Dalby not out 0
Extras (b9 lb10 w2 nb10) 31
Total (93.5 overs) 273
Fall: 1-22 2-28 3-33 4-72 5-109 6-164 7-198
8-198 9-273
Bowling: Parnell 22-3-60-3. Khan 23-4-61-
2. Anyon 13-0-61-1. Panesar 27-9-59-2.
Wernars 8.5-5-13-2.

Yorkshire Second Innings Close
J E Root lbw b Nash 20
J J Sayers c Joyce b Parnell 0
A McGrath not out 8
Extras (lb1 pens 0) 1
Total 2 wkts (11.5 overs) 29
Fall: 1-9 2-29
Bowling: Parnell 4-1-12-1. Khan 4-1-9-0.
Anyon 2-1-5-0. Nash 1.5-0-2-1.