RIKI Wessels found a dogged ally in Vernon Philander as they revived Nottinghamshire from 102 for seven with an unbroken stand of 89.

Wessels, with a previous top score of 43 this season, was rarely troubled in the afternoon as he progressed to 88 on a ground where he made 90 last year.

In the fourth of his six games, Philander survived two sharp chances. He was on eight when a ball from Graham Onions flew off the shoulder of the bat and Calum MacLeod was unable to hang on when diving to his right at gully. Wessels pulled the next ball to long leg for his seventh four to reach 50 off 72 balls.

The only other chance came with Philander on 17, when Phil Mustard got one glove to the ball when leaping to his left after Chris Rushworth found the inside edge.

As in the previous match at Chester-le-Street, which featured Sussex's record last-wicket stand of 164, batting became notably easier once the ball was 40 overs old.

Chris Read shouldered arms and lost his off stump to Rushworth shortly after lunch, otherwise Brett Hutton, preferred to Will Gidman, was unlucky to be the only other victim of the session. He gloved a leg-side catch to Mustard off Mark Wood, bringing in Philander, who was on 31 at tea with the total on 191 for seven,