Mike Yardy's second century in four days and Matt Prior's attacking 82 put Sussex in charge against Worcestershire at the halfway stage in their LV County Championship Division One match at New Road.

Having dismissed their bottom-placed opponents for 288, Sussex secured maximum batting points for the first time since they made 419 against Somerset at Horsham last July.

Closing on 409 for five, a lead of 121, they have turned up the pressure on a Worcestershire side struggling to meet top-flight demands after winning promotion last season.

A fourth defeat in five games is already looking likely after another hard day for their attack. Even with Kabir Ali back from a seven-week lay-off with a hamstring injury, they did not have the resources to withstand a grilling by Yardy.

After failing to score a hundred in the Championship last year, the 28-year-old left hander is enjoying a run of good form in his first season as captain.

Fresh from making 110 in an unsuccessful run-chase against Yorkshire earlier in the week, he reached 152, hitting 21 fours from 244 balls, before edging Chris Whelan to wicketkeeper Steven Davies.

While Yardy accumulated runs at an even pace over five hours on the second day, Prior opted for a more forthright approach in a window of Championship cricket prior to returning to Test duty against Australia next month.

Starting with 64 out of 119 in only 24 overs with Yardy, the England keeper thumped 11 fours until he lifted a catch to extra cover for Whelan's third wicket of the day. Dwayne Smth smashed two sixes in an unbeaten 49 as Sussex added 167 after tea.

The match might have moved in a different direction if Worcestershire could have punished Yardy for a lapse in the second over of the morning. A nick off Matt Mason, which bisected Davies behind the stumps and Ben Smith at first slip, gave the opener one of his eight fours in a first 50 from 72 balls.

Sussex lost only one wicket in adding 126 before lunch and that came from a lucky break when Ashley Noffke's deflection off a straight drive by Yardy ran out Chris Nash at the non-striker's end.

Nash made an impressive 52, including a dozen boundaries, on his return from a shin injury, but Yardy's next two partners would have been disappointed by their dismissals after sharing in half-century stands.

Ed Joyce (21) planted a short ball from Kabir into the hands of the bowler's cousin, Moeen Ali, at deep square leg and Murray Goodwin (16) hung out his bat when Davies took a routine chance for Whelan's first success.