Sussex gave Yorkshire a tough reminder of the realities of top-flight cricket on the first day of the LV= County Championship season at Headingley.

Having lost the toss and been asked to bat first on a wicket offering only a little help to Ed Joyce's attack, Andrew Gale's men were bowled out for 96 - their lowest total against Sussex at Leeds.

By the time bad light ended play 19 overs early, Joyce's batsmen had proved that there were few devils in the wicket by making 104-3 in 28 overs, Chris Nash stroking a polished 80 off 87 balls and taking five fours off seven Jack Brooks deliveries.

Yorkshire diehards will take solace from Ryan Sidebottom's three wickets but the former England seamer and his colleagues will surely have to register more successes early tomorrow morning if Yorkshire are not to face a very hard battle over the next few days.

The travails of Yorkshire's top order in the first session can be gauged by the fact that the first boundary was not scored until 70 minutes' cricket had been played.

By then Adam Lyth had played on to former Farsley bowler James Anyon for three, Phil Jaques had been trapped lbw for two by Steve Magoffin and Gale had been caught down the leg-side off Chris Jordan for the same score.

Yorkshire came into lunch on 40-4 after 30 overs, with Championship debutant Alex Lees having edged Jordan to wicketkeeper Ben Brown for six.

Jonny Bairstow showed some attacking intent in making 29 but his dismissal three overs into the afternoon session began a collapse which saw the last six wickets fall for 38 runs in less than 14 overs.

Jordan finished with 6-48, the best Championship figures of his career as none of the Yorkshire middle and lower order could cope with his accuracy and movement.

Azeem Rafiq, one of only three Yorkshire batsmen to reach double figures, was last out for 23.