Josh Tongue claimed a quickfire five-wicket haul before Haseeb Hameed struck an unbeaten half-century as Nottinghamshire enjoyed a dominant first day in the Rothesay County Championship against Sussex at Trent Bridge.

Tongue, who picked up figures of 5/44, recorded his second five-for in what is still only his third outing for the Green and Golds, while Brett Hutton took 4/53 as the Martlets were dismissed for just 169.

Hameed then passed fifty for the third successive innings as the hosts closed on 164-3, having already almost achieved parity at just five runs in arrears.

Hutton’s early burst had vindicated Hameed’s decision to bowl first under some cloud cover after winning the toss, as he reduced Sussex to 22-3 inside the opening 11 overs.

The trio to depart were all of the visitors’ top three, with Tom Haines being first to go, caught by near-namesake Jack Haynes at third slip for a second-ball duck.

Tom Clark followed, lbw for eight, before Daniel Hughes also fell for 12 after slapping one to Liam Patterson-White at backward point.

The introduction of Tongue brought no respite for Sussex, either, as Tom Alsop was pinned lbw for five, reducing the visitors to 75-4 by lunch.

It took only three overs of the afternoon session for Tongue to record a second wicket and break a partnership of 57 between James Coles and Oli Carter by having the former easily caught by Hameed at mid-on for 37.

Carter was the innings’ top-scorer with 46, but after John Simpson had been and gone for 14, caught in the slips by Ben Duckett to give Hutton a fourth scalp, he too was removed.

It fell to Farhan Ahmed to do the honours of bringing his 106-ball innings to an end, caught by the fast hands of Kyle Verreynne, to leave Sussex floundering at 155-7.

The reintroduction of Tongue then proved a masterstroke, allowing the Green and Golds to clean up the tail in the space of one over, as he completed his five-fer.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice was caught by Joe Clarke for 30, before Ben Duckett pouched Jack Carson for six and Jayden Seales was caught behind by Verreynne for a golden duck to bring about the end of the Martlets’ innings.

Following tea, openers Hameed and Ben Slater set about their task of eating into the total, and it was a challenge the former, in the midst of his purple patch, rose to with aplomb.

Even the dismissals of Slater and Duckett, to Seales and Ollie Robinson respectively, did not detract the Notts captain from his focus, as he seamlessly moved to an 80-ball half-century.

Calmly partnering Jack Haynes following the loss of Joe Clarke to Hudson-Prentice, Hameed ended the day on 67 not out, meaning he has now notched 205 runs since last being dismissed following his unbeaten 138 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston las week.

Haynes made a fluent 34, striking six fours to go with Hameed’s 11, as the duo’s unbroken axis, worth 84, took them through 18 overs to stumps.