James Bruce bagged his biggest haul of wickets this season as Hampshire fielded under floodlights for the first time in a Championship match.

Bruce finished with 4-33 after a ten-over spell that helped reduce defending champions Sussex to 64-6 after the visitors had won the toss.

Rain brought an end to proceedings at 12.55pm and more bad weather is forecast for today but the 28-year-old is on course to better the career-best 5-43 he took against Nottinghamshire at the Rose Bowl last year.

With his third ball he dismissed Chris Nash, who edged a loose drive to first slip, and left-hander Michael Yardy nicked a ball angled across him in Bruce's third over.

The other Sussex wickets fell after the Rose Bowl floodlights were turned on for only the second time in a Championship match.

Umpires Jeff Evans and Nigel Cowley had checked their light meters more than once before they decided to make use of the six pylons.

The only other time the lights were used in the Championship was against Durham last month.

They were turned off after eight overs as the umpires agreed that Durham were struggling to pick up the ball in the outfield.

This time Hampshire were bowling and Sussex were 29-2 when the lights were turned on.

The visitors proceeded to lose their next four wickets for 35 runs, and there was nothing wrong with the wicket on the eastern side of the square.

There was some doubt as to whether the lights were as effective today as they are when the wicket used is in the middle of the square, but Hampshire responded to their use by dismissing Murray Goodwin and Chris Adams in successive overs.

Bruce trapped Goodwin lbw with an off-cutter for a 23-ball 19 and a loose drive from Chris Adams against debutant Daren Powell resulted in a thick outside edge that flew to Shane Warne at second slip.

Sussex wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd then had his off stump uprooted after playing down the wrong line to Bruce and David Griffiths had Robin Martin-Jenkins caught at the third attempt by Michael Lumb at first slip as the rain began to fall.

That proved to be the last action of the day.

Sussex captain Adams left impressed with the performances of both Bruce and Powell.

He said: "James Bruce ran in and hits the deck and isn't shy of bowling a good, long spell.

"He nibbled it both ways and makes you play at a lot of balls because he bowls a lot of deliveries on an off-stump line. He's a tough prospect and I thought Daren Powell did well. He swung the ball, hit good areas and did exactly what I suspect Hampshire wanted from him."

But Adams had mixed views on the use of the lights.

He added: "We didn't counter on the light being as bad as it was and I commend the umpires for using the floodlights but my bone of contention is that although the light does improve, and it shows as such on the umpires' light-meters, it is artificial light.

"Unless you have actually batted out there - and the people at ECB who make these decisions haven't batted out there - it is difficult to talk about depth perception and picking up line and length with a dark ball.

"I don't think floodlights have a place in four-day cricket which is more about quality teams playing each other in as fair conditions when hopefully the better team will come out on top at the end of the day.

"If you create artificial conditions, the chances of that happening recede.

"At Hove we have made them unavailable for four-day cricket. I just don't think it is right to play cricket during daytime under artificial light. When the light gets bad during the day you get that twilight period. With a dark ball and shadows on the pitch, depth perception and picking length is really hard. But that's not a moan about the position we're in."

Adams also defended his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

He continued: "It's a difficult place to bat and make decisions on what might happen. I've played here enough times to know that the pitch starts damp and during the first innings it means indentations are left on the pitch.

"What you don't want to find yourself chasing is 200 or 220 in the last innings which is why we batted.

"We're in a difficult position but it's no different from what you would expect playing Hampshire in their own back yard. I still maintain that batting was the right decision."