WORCESTERSHIRE have suffered another major injury blow ahead of their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy final against Gloucestershire at Lord's a week tomorrow.

Their latest casualty is all-rounder Andy Bichel who suffered a hip injury yesterday during the Frizzell County Championship Division One match against Sussex at Hove.

The Australian pulled up while bowling his seventh over and is due to have a scan at a Brighton hospital today. He is not expected to bowl again in the current match.

The setback comes in the wake of paceman Kabir Ali's stomach muscle injury which could keep him out of action for up to three weeks.

To add to the County's woes Murray Goodwin and Matt Prior put Sussex on top yesterday with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 119 as last year's champions reached 289-4 by the close.

Prior made the visitors suffer for dropping him on 24 by composing a fluent 73, while Goodwin passed 50 for only the fourth time this season on the way to 72. The pair continued to flourish today and took the score past 300 in the 92nd over.

Worcestershire went wicketless after tea, their resources being stretched because of Bichel's injury.

Prior, badly missed at square-leg by Gareth Batty off Matt Mason, went on to hammer a dozen boundaries and a six in an entertaining 120-ball knock.

The in-form Prior has now scored two centuries and two 50s in his last six innings and Goodwin is also back in the runs after a lean spell.

The former Zimbabwe star hoisted Andrew Hall for six over mid-wicket and also struck six boundaries as the hosts finished the day strongly.

Opener Richard Montgomerie had earlier made a patient 69 with ten fours after Sussex chose to bat.

Play began at midday following rain, and Sussex had an early shock when their leading scorer Ian Ward (2) went in the fifth over.

Montgomerie fell to Zimbabwe left-arm spinner Ray Price and Tony Cottey (34) 106-ball vigil was ended by Matt Mason. Chris Adams also made 34 before being caught.