Worcestershire’s hopes of forcing victory over Sussex were frustrated by a combination of rain and an unbeaten half-century from Robin Martin-Jenkins at Hove despite a career-best from young seamer Richard Jones.

The visitors still closed the third day of their LV= County Championship Division Two game in a strong position on 76-2 in their second innings, a lead of 212.

But they might have been even better placed having reduced Sussex to 221 for eight during the morning session.

Instead, Martin-Jenkins, on the day he announced he would be retiring after 15 years in the game to become a schoolteacher, and Pakistani Yasir Arafat plundered 106 in just 77 minutes for the ninth wicket.

The effort came either side of a rain delay which took 37 overs off the day’s allocation, to at least make sure the hosts avoided the follow-on.

Martin-Jenkins cracked 10 boundaries in an unbeaten 66 from 70 balls, his fifth half-century of the season, although he was dropped in the gully on 15 by Phil Jaques — who grassed a difficult chance diving to his left. Arafat contributed 40 before he was taken by Jacques off Gareth Andrew.

Jones finished things off when Corey Collymore was cauught behind to give the outswing bowler career-best figures of 7-115 in front of England’s chief selector Geoff Miller.

Sussex had resumed on 188 for four but were soon in trouble as overcast skies helped Jones get the ball to swing during the morning.

He took three wickets in 11 balls with skipper Mike Yardy miscuing to mid-on in the second over of the day. Murray Goodwin, who had added only two to his overnight 109, and Ben Brown both fell to outswingers, Brown for a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Championship innings.

When Luke Wright failed to pick Alan Richardson’s slower ball Sussex still needed 95 to avoid the follow-on but Martin-Jenkins and Arafat adopted an attacking strategy from the off.

Sussex’s hopes of saving the game were aided by the loss of 37 overs during the afternoon to rain and when they resumed Worcestershire’s bowling was wayward with Andrew conceding 16 byes in his first three overs before he took the new ball and immediately removed Arafat, who sliced a drive to gully.

When Worcestershire batted again they lost both openers with Daryl Mitchell caught at short leg in Monty Panesar’s second over before Martin-Jenkins ended the day on a high when Jaques dragged onto his off-stump.

But the all-rounder’s final day of Championship cricket at Hove looks like involving a battle to help his side avoid a third successive Championship defeat.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “The rain came at a frustrating time for us as it looked like we were going to make them follow-on.

“But sometimes you have to give the opposition credit.

“Martin-Jenkins is retiring and he looks like he is in the form of his life and Arafat can play too.

“But it was pleasing to see Richard Jones get his seven wickets and it was something he thoroughly deserved.”