Hampshire 154 and 114 for 6 (Carson 2-4) trail Sussex 297 (Simpson 106*, Hudson-Prentice 74) by 29 runs
John Simpson's 18th first-class century put Hampshire on the ropes before a batting collapse put Sussex on the brink of a Rothesay County Championship victory at Utilita Bowl.
Skipper Simpson was superb to record back-to-back centuries, and his third of the campaign, as he scored 106 - which included a 173-run stand with 78-maker Fynn Hudson-Prentice. Sussex claimed a 143-run first-innings lead before six evening wickets tore through Hampshire - they closed on 114 for 6, still behind by 29.
Simpson and Hudson-Prentice had shrugged off a slump on the first evening, after coming together at 83 for 5. They blocked, left and survived for 16 overs to close.
The new morning brought overhead conditions seemingly perfect for bowling, but on a slow pitch where once you could get in as a batter, you could stick around; that is what the sixth-wicket pair did.
Having been 44 runs behind at the start of the session, they quickly reached parity within an hour with sprightly cricket. Both reached half-centuries before lunch, Simpson in 111 balls, Hudson-Prentice in 116. Everything they did made the bowlers toil.
If a wicketless first session was frustrating for Hampshire, the afternoon was unpleasant due to a bout of the butterfingers - something that has marred their season with 25 chances already grassed.
Hudson-Prentice was put down off a regulation catch at first slip on 51 and at midwicket on 70 before he was finally pinned lbw as Brad Wheal found success with the new ball.
Jack Carson was dropped on nought at square leg, before taking 18 deliveries to get off the mark, but once he did he was a fluent partner for Simpson - who had been dropped first ball the previous day.
Simpson has taken to Division One cricket identically to Division Two. Having not reached three figures in 2023 with Middlesex, he pumped out five tons in 2024 to lead Sussex's promotion charge before filing two going into this round of games.
There was little surprise he converted once again, this time in 207 deliveries - even less surprising was that he reached the milestone by being dropped while pulling.
Even when Hampshire thought they had held a catch - Simpson at first slip on 104 - it was clearly a bump ball.
The first day had been headlined by two flurries of wickets, and another pair of collapses either side of tea proved the rule that this pitch was ripe for them. The last four Sussex wickets fell in 11 balls as James Fuller ended a 40-run stand when Carson was leg before, before the fast bowler castled Nathan McAndrew.
Liam Dawson finished things off by getting Ari Karvelas caught at first slip and Henry Crocombe lbw, which left Sussex three runs shy of a second batting point.
Fletcha Middleton and Mark Stoneman put on 38 in 14 overs to suggest they could bed in, but after Middleton was leg-before, things turned south for the hosts. Stoneman, Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest all departed in 13 deliveries. Stoneman tickled behind, Gubbins was unlucky to be lbw to one which stayed very low and Prest missed a straight on.
Ben Brown, unbeaten in the first innings, was bowled by a flighty delivery from Carson to leave Hampshire 90 for 5, and still 53 in arrears. Toby Albert was also bowled by Carson to add to the malaise with a three-day Sussex victory almost inevitable.
