Yorkshire battled their way back into their match against Sussex at Arundel yesterday after slumping to 41 for four and looking ripe for another Championship drubbing.

A first win of the season for the title holders is still a long way off but their final score of 255 at least gives them a chance, although Sussex reached 24 without loss in reply.

Once again, Darren Lehmann took the main batting honours by going past 50 for the fifth consecutive time in all competitions but he was well supported by fellow left-hander Vic Craven and there was strong resistance later on from Richard Dawson and Andy Gray in an eighth-wicket stand of 72.

Doing much of the damage for Sussex was former Yorkshire paceman Mark Robinson, who was brought out of first-team retirement to bolster his adopted county's pace attack and he responded with three for 57 off 20 accurate overs.

With Steven Kirby out with a back strain and Chris Silverwood failing a late test on his ankle injury, Yorkshire had to give paceman Chris Elstub his first Championship game in two seasons and Gray his first outing of the summer.

Yorkshire made every effort to get off to a solid start but they were unable to avoid slumping to 41 for four, with the last three going down in the space of 12 balls for eight runs.

First to go was Craig White, who fell to a low catch in the gully off Billy Taylor, then Robin Martin-Jenkins had Matthew Wood out to a juggling catch at second slip by Mike Yardy before Robinson got rid of Anthony McGrath and Michael Lumb off the first and last balls of his next over, McGrath deflecting a catch via the wicketkeeper's gloves to Yardy and Lumb shouldering arms and falling lbw.

Fortunately for Yorkshire, Lehmann was again in prime form and he found a capable ally in Craven during a 96 stand in 26 overs.

Craven's fluent innings of 37 was ended by Robinson, who bowled him, but Yorkshire suffered a bigger blow when Lehmann glanced Kevin Innes too finely and was caught at full stretch behind the stumps by Matt Prior after the captain had struck ten fours and faced 115 balls.

Richard Blakey was bowled by Innes to have Yorkshire in big trouble again at 183 for seven but Dawson and Gray, whose four Championship innings last season yielded four runs, took few chances in bringing about a much-needed revival.

They pushed the score on to 255 for seven but the arrival of the new ball wiped out the innings in ten deliveries without addition, Dawson being lbw for 33 attempting to drive Taylor and Gray (40) and Ryan Sidebottom succumbing to Martin-Jenkins.

Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin then steered Sussex safely through the final eight overs.