Michael Jones notched up 87 from 156 balls in an excellent innings that left Durham on top at the end of the first day of the County Championship opener.
A flurry of late wickets – with Nathan McAndrew claiming three and two for Henry Crocombe – gave Sussex supporters something to cheer at the 1st Central County Ground.
After losing the first session to overnight rain, Sussex skipper Cheteshwar Pujara won the toss and elected to bowl first in gloomy conditions.
Jones, a Scotland international, combined well with England hopeful Alex Lees to reach 45-0 off the opening 10 overs.
Each took their turn as the aggressor. Jones hit a flurry of crisp drives in the opening hour before Lees found his stride, plundering 10 off George Garton in the 14th over.
Garton, alongside his fellow quicks, struggled to find their feet in the afternoon session. The tone was set from ball one when Henry Crocombe began proceedings with a wide full toss. Lees could only find the fielder on that occasion. But the poor bowling continued and the runs began to flow.
Garton, returning from illness, proved expensive, leaking runs at a rate of 6.40 in his short spells.
Sean Hunt too was lacklustre. The 6ft 5in pacer dropped short far too often and was duly punished by a thankful Durham top order. Hunt finished the day with figures of 0 for 65 from his 11 overs.
By the 22nd over, Pujara had tried six bowlers but nothing would stick. Even part-timer Tom Haines tried his hand although his four-over spell ended after he was clubbed for consecutive boundaries by the brutal Lees.
The left-hander had claimed his fifty in the previous over, off just 55 balls, reaching the milestone with a powerful pull shot. The century opening stand would come only one over later. Durham were in control.
At the other end, Jones continued to accumulate, knocking singles while his partner chased quick runs. Surviving a dropped chance off Henry Crocombe in the slips, he too reached his fifty, in the 28th over.
Nearing his hundred, Lees looked to take on the spin, sweeping Jack Carson for twin boundaries before George Garton uprooted his off-stump with a full delivery, nipping in. The opener departed for a flamboyant 79 off 85 deliveries and the 142-run opening stand was finally broken.
In at three, debutant Ben McKinney showed his class, using the face of his blade to guide anything short behind square, before chipping a Henry Crocombe delivery to Pujara at mid-on. The 18-year-old departed for an attractive 35 off 39 deliveries.
Durham wickets would continue to fall as Sussex fought back in the evening session. David Bedingham went for 10, bowled by Australian all-rounder Nathan McAndrew, before Jones – the pick of Durham’s batters – skied an attempted pull shot off Crocombe.
Jack Carson had Ollie Robinson caught and bowled in the 56th over as the visitors continued to stutter.
But any hopes of a roaring comeback would be slowed by Durham’s lower middle order. Graham Clark hit six sixes in his innings of 47 off 52 balls, including some extravagant pull shots.
The 30-year-old was dropped at both slip and mid-on before falling lbw to McAndrew, who then picked up Jonathan Bushnell in the dying moments.
Durham ended the day on 352-7.
