HAMPSHIRE have won their first LV County Championship match in Sussex for 17 years.

On a deteriorating Hove wicket, Sean Terry recovered from a nasty blow on the thumb from Matt Hobden - and the loss of Jimmy Adams (30), Michael Carberry (6), James Vince (10) and Will Smith (6) - to guide Hampshire to the 126 they needed.

The son of former Hampshire manager Paul Terry made a career-best 62 not out (94 balls), which included nine fours and the winning run, as Sussex were beaten by six wickets, having been bowled out for 266 just after lunch on the third day.

Hampshire's first win of the season lifts them off the foot of the first division and out of the relegation zone.

Fidel Edwards got the day off to the best possible start by claiming Hampshire’s first five-for of the season when Sussex nightwatchman Steve Magoffin nicked the fourth ball to James Vince at second slip.

But Hampshire were frustrated for most of the morning session by Ben Brown (52) and Luke Wright (84), who shared a stand of 120.

The seventh-wicket pair were eventually dismissed within ten balls of each over as Sussex lost their last four wickets for four runs either side of lunch.

But Brown showed more stickability than the Sussex tail, despite a hostile spell from Edwards in which he was struck three times at the beginning of his innings.

After pulling Edwards for successive boundaries he was dropped by Danny Briggs on 13 when a leading edge against another short ball ballooned to square leg.

Brown made Hampshire pay by adding a half-century to the unbeaten 144 he made at the Ageas Bowl in April.

Having started the third day on 28, Wright reached fifty (67 balls) with a glorious off drive against Edwards, who followed his 4-21 on day two with 1-37 in six overs down the hill from the Cromwell Road End to finish with 5-58 – his best haul for three years.

The first three balls of Jackson Bird’s spell from the same end were pulled to the fence by Brown, who also pulled and drove successive boundaries against Bird on his way to an 84-ball fifty (ten fours) as Sussex extended their lead to 121.

Then Hampshire took the last four Sussex wickets for just four runs from 30 balls either side of lunch.

The collapse began when Will Smith ran out Wright for 84 (128 balls, 13 fours, one six) with a brilliant one-handed throw from cover.

And Brown could only glove the final ball before lunch to Sean Ervine at slip after Bird found sharp lift off a length.

Ollie Robinson hit Bird straight to deep backward square-leg in the second over after lunch.

And with the fifth ball of the last over before the second new ball was due, some extra bounce out of the rough from Briggs accounted for Fynn Hudson-Prentice.

There was no shortage of variable bounce but Terry showed admirable composure. Adams and Vince were both out to attempted slog sweeps and Carberry was caught down the leg side before Smith gave his wicket away.

But Terry played like the veteran, cover driving Hobden for four off the back foot soon after his thumb was strapped-up before ensuring Hampshire's first win in these parts since 1998.