Henry Crocombe took a hat-trick for Sussex as Somerset’s hopes of a first ever County Championship title took a hit at Hove.

They were bowled out for 202 in just 58 overs in bowler-friendly conditions, with Crocombe – who joins Surrey next year – polishing off the innings with his second five-wicket return in first-class cricket.

A stand of 95 between the consistent Tom Abell and the returning Craig Overton, who went into the match with an average of 92.67 against Sussex, rescued Somerset after a poor start but they lost their last five wickets for 11 runs. At the close Sussex were 77 for 2, having lost both openers.

Conditions were cloudy and humid at the start of play but it was seam movement more than swing that troubled the Somerset batters, certainly in the opening hour, and they were fortunate not to lose more than four wickets in the opening session.

Sussex broke through with the first delivery of the second over when a leg-side delivery from Sean Hunt was flicked up in the air by Tom Lammonby and Jaydev Unadkat took a fine juggling catch at long leg, just managing to stay within the boundary rope as he did so.

Josh Thomas looked full of attacking strokes as well as confidence after scoring a century in the previous match against Essex. But with the score on 48 he edged Crocombe to wicketkeeper John Simpson.

The pacey Crocombe bowled well within himself in his first spell but he found movement and two balls later he bowled Somerset’s New Zealand left-hander Henry Nicholls. He angled the ball into the batter from around the wicket and bowled him through the gate.

Archie Vaughan played a peculiar innings for 20. There were four fluent boundaries but he played and missed for the most part and it was no surprise when he was fourth out at 59, caught at fine-leg.

At lunch Somerset were 93 for 4 after 29 overs and soon after the break they lost a fifth wicket when James Rew nicked off to Hunt. It was Hunt’s third wicket. He took nine in the match against Warwickshire last week as well as nine in Sussex’s defeat of Somerset at Hove last season.

Somerset were almost 98 for 6 but the prolific Abell, on 35, was badly dropped by Charlie Tear at first slip off Crocombe.

Hunt, along with the other two main seamers, Unadkat and Crocombe, had bowled almost all the overs in the first session. But part-time bowler Tom Clark stepped in to take the next two wickets in as many deliveries.

Abell edged the bowler to a wide first slip where Tear took a good catch low to his left. It was much more difficult than the one he had shelled. And next ball captain Lewis Gregory drove gently back to the bowler.

But then Crocombe made two in two look commonplace. First, he had Overton caught down the leg-side. Then he had Migael Pretorius well caught at third slip by Tom Haines. He completed the hat-trick when the demoted Jack Leach pushed forward and edged behind. It was the first Sussex hat-trick since Jason Lewry performed the feat in 2001.