After five weeks of remedial work, it was time for Andrew Flintoff to take to the field again, with all the will he, won't he questions that seem to dog him now wherever and whenever he plays. The answers to the questions yesterday were: yes, he did (bowl well); no, he didn't (get any wickets) and no, he didn't get injured.

Quite what answer the England selectors give to the will he question on Thursday, when they pick their side for the first Test match against South Africa, is anybody's guess.

Instead, it was another England quick bowler, Sajid Mahmood, who left Hove last night sniffing the salt air with some satisfaction. Occasionally wayward but always willing and hostile, Mahmood picked up the key Sussex wickets of Chris Adams and Murray Goodwin and three tailenders to give him his first five-for of what is becoming an impressive season.

Lancashire were to the fore for most of the day, but Sussex have lost only four championship matches at Hove in the past five years for a reason. Four wickets in the last session, as the ball began to swing, gave last year's champions some parity. They finished the day with belief restored.

Even so, they will have to bat better second time around. Through a combination of sloppy strokeplay and one horrendous run-out (off a no-ball to boot), Sussex were five down at lunch. But for a counter-attacking mid-afternoon partnership of 88 between Robin Martin-Jenkins and Carl Hopkinson, things would have been much worse.

But all eyes were on Flintoff. For the past five weeks he has been in the company of Dave Roberts, his personal physiotherapist, who he must know almost as well as his missus by now. Roberts subjected him to a variety of treatments and at 11.52 we were about to find out if it had all been worthwhile.

Remembering the likes of Imran Khan and Garth Le Roux running down the hill at Hove, it was a surprise to see Flintoff begin his day's work from the Sea End. But there was a gentle breeze rippling in from the coast and perhaps Flintoff wanted that behind him rather than the assistance of the slope. He eased into his first spell, bowling quickly enough but without much venom. His line, though, was exemplary and he looked strong, fit and well able to withstand the seven-over spell given to him. He managed a seven-over spell in the afternoon, too, although this was of a different fashion. Coming round

the wicket to Hopkinson, with a bodyline-type field, Flintoff slipped himself into something near top gear. Hopkinson was well set but even so Flintoff managed to inflict a couple of blows to the body. On a slow pitch, this was a good effort.

At Lord's on Saturday, Peter Moores was noncommittal about Flintoff's return for the first Test. Fair enough, but surely the selectors have learnt from their near-mistake at the start of the season, when they admitted that Flintoff would have been picked for the first Test against New Zealand but for his side strain.

It is difficult to say how many games he needs, but it is certainly more than one. He needs to become matchhardened before England call again.

Sussex: First Innings

M H Yardy c Law b Keedy 25
C D Nash run out 16
*C J Adams b Mahmood 6
M W Goodwin c Horton b Mahmood 5
M J Prior c Law b Chapple 30
C D Hopkinson c Flintoff b Keedy 39
R S C Martin-Jenkins b Du Plessis 70
O P Rayner c Loye b Mahmood 16
Mushtaq Ahmed c Vincent b Mahmood 16
C D Collymore c Sutton b Mahmood 5
J D Lewry not out 0

Extras: (b 7, lb 4, nb 14) 25

Total (66.4 overs) 253

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-41, 3-57, 4-74, 5-98, 6-186, 7-231, 8-231, 9-244. Bowling: Chapple 12-2-45-1; Mahmood 16.4-3-76-5; Flintoff 15-4-43-0; Keedy 16-4-54-2; Croft 4-0-19-0; Du Plessis 3-1-5-1.

Lancashire: First Innings

P J Horton b Lewry 9

L Vincent c Hopkinson b Collymore 38

M B Loye lbw b Lewry 0

F du Plessis c Prior b Martin-Jenkins 8

*S G Law not out 5

G Keedy not out 5

Extras (nb 2) 2

Total (4 wkts, 27 overs) 67

A Flintoff, S J Croft, L D Sutton, G Chapple and S I Mahmood to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-36, 3-57, 4-57.

Bowling: Lewry 8-2-21-2; Collymore 10-3-35-1; Martin-Jenkins 8-6-10-1; Mushtaq 1-0-1-0.

Umpires: R T Robinson and G Sharp.