John Crawley has defended the use of the Rose Bowl floodlights in first-class matches.

Crawley, 35, experienced batting under floodlights with a red ball for the first time in his career on his way to an unbeaten 53 against Sussex today.

Umpires Nigel Cowley and Jeff Evans decided to make use of the £600,000 lights, as they are now able to do when there is bad light, when Hampshire were 78-2 in the 22nd over.

Michael Lumb departed in the first over after the six pylons were turned on but Crawley helped Hampshire reach 113-3 at the close in reply to Sussex's 145.

Sussex captain Chris Adams criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to allow floodlights to be used in Championship matches after his side lost four wickets for 35 runs in artificial light on Wednesday morning.

Adams argued it was harder to judge the length of the ball when the lights are on during twilight and that the use of a red ball, as opposed to the white Kookaburra ball used in floodlit one-day matches, made it even more difficult.

His views can be read in full in this weekend's Pink, but Crawley was more positive.

He said: "The guys aren't really used to playing with a red ball under lights - it makes the ball really shiny on the shiny side - but there's nothing more frustrating than bad light stopping play and it massively improves the light as a whole.

"It's obviously a bit glary but it didn't seem that different to normal, natural light."

Crawley admitted that the lights would have been more effective if the wicket used in this match was in the middle of the square, and not on the eastern side of it.

He added: "It took a bit of getting used to when the bowler was running in, especially from the Pavilion End, because we were so close to the lights on that side."

Hampshire took to the field at 1.55pm when the outfield was still wet, so anxious were they to bowl against a Sussex side they had reduced to 64-6 two days earlier.

Crawley admitted: "It was very slippy but there was a decent crowd for a Championship game so we got on with it.

"People pay money to see us play and it's been the most frustrating season. I can't remember us having a full four-day game for a few months and there comes a time when you just want to get out there."

Debutant Daren Powell (3-46) responded with a run out from long leg and two wickets, while James Bruce recorded the second-best Championship figures of his career: 5-64.

Luke Wright, who made a run-a-ball 43, threatened to add significant runs to the Sussex total by lifting Bruce and then Powell for sixes in successive overs.

After being pulled over the mid-wicket boundary, Powell followed up with a bouncer and a few choice words before finishing off the Sussex innings in the same over.

Wright, who blasted a Twenty20 century against Hampshire at Hove three weeks ago, top-edged an attempted hook and was well caught at fine leg.

Hampshire's reply got off to the worst possible start when Michael Brown, having scored 182 unbeaten runs at Durham last week, shouldered arms to a Jason Lewry inswinger and lost his off stump for 0.

Michael Carberry (20) was trapped lbw by a Rana Naved yorker and Michael Lumb (22) nicked a Robin Martin-Jenkins delivery in the fourth over after tea before Crawley and Chris Benham put on 31 in nine overs under the floodlights.

So far 220 overs of this match have been lost to rain and despite a good forecast tomorrow, Hampshire may have to settle for an accumulation of bonus points, with little time left to bowl Sussex out a second time.