THORNBURY'S Chris Dent held together the Gloucestershire first innings on a difficult afternoon at the Brightside Ground, Bristol, in their final Specsavers County Championship match of the season against Sussex.

Having been reduced to 33-3 during a morning session cut short by a delayed start, Gloucestershire progressed to 143-7 at tea with Dent unbeaten on 56.

The left hander lost partners Hamish Marshall (14), Phil Mustard (4), Jack Taylor (5) and Craig Miles (20) on a pitch that continued to give the Sussex seamers' genuine help.

Dent passed his fifty off 137 balls with seven fours and shared in a 29 run stand with Miles and an unbeaten eighth wicket stand of 46 with Payne. Steve Magoffin was the pick of the Sussex bowlers, returning the impressive figures of 3-19 off 16 overs.