WAYNE Parnell produced a four-wicket burst before Sussex recovered to 185-6 against Worcestershire on day one.

In-form captain Ben Brown (64 not out) and Chris Jordan (44no) dug the visitors out of trouble with an unbroken 83-run partnership in the County Championship Division Two clash.

Sussex had been struggling on 102-6 at Kidderminster following another fine show by all-rounder Parnell.

Rain brought a premature end to play shortly after 3pm with 51.5 overs bowled.

The consistent Parnell, who had a spell at Hove during 2011, again showed his potency with the ball.

He dismissed Luke Wells, Harry Finch and Laurie Evans during an initial spell of 3-22 from six overs from the Pavilion End.

Parnell then returned after lunch to account for David Wiese.

Adam Finch’s maiden first-class wicket plus a scalp for club captain Joe Leach helped to put Sussex on the ropes.

They had been put into bat on the pitch used by Kidderminster for Saturday’s Birmingham League fixture.

But seventh-wicket pair Brown and Jordan opted for an aggressive counter-attacking approach over 18 overs.

A sizeable crowd greeted the first Championship fixture at Chester Road since 2008 after floods had engulfed Blackfinch New Road and prompted the change of venue.

Adam Finch took the new ball in tandem with Leach and the England under 19 paceman made the first breakthrough to remove makeshift opener Will Beer for just three.

Beer pushed forward and edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Cox.

But the introduction of Parnell to the attack sent the wickets tumbling.

Harry Finch (0) drove hard at the 29-year-old and was pouched by Josh Dell at backward point.

Then two wickets went in the same over from Parnell to leave Sussex on 55-4.

Wells (29) flicked Parnell off his legs to Ed Barnard at mid-wicket and then Evans (2) lost his off stump.

The last ball before lunch accounted for Stiaan van Zyl (28) who pushed forward to Leach and was bowled.

Parnell broke through again in his second over of the afternoon as he trapped Wiese (5) lbw.

Jordan survived a difficult chance before he had scored from a Parnell delivery with Barnard at backward point unable to grasp onto the one-handed opportunity.

He profited from this let-off in cover driving and cutting Parnell for four before lofting spinner Brett D’Oliveira for six over deep mid-wicket.

Brown went to his half-century from 85 balls with 10 fours before the rain intervened and prevented no play after an early tea.