John Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara completed centuries on a day when Sussex re-wrote their record books not once but twice as they continued to dominate their County Championship clash with hosts Middlesex at Lord’s.
Simpson, who made 10 centuries in 15 years with the Seaxes, got the second of his short tenure as Sussex skipper, eventually making 167.
And Pujara posted 129 in a score of 554-9 declared that eclipsed their previous best against the hosts of 550-9 at Hove in 1980.
Simpson and Pujara shared a stand of 223 for the fifth wicket to erase the previous best against Middlesex of 216 by Kepler Wessels and Colin Wells in that same match 44 years ago.
Middlesex, for whom Ethan Bamber took 3-114, lost Mark Stoneman early in their reply but Sam Robson, unbeaten on 40, and Max Holden saw them through to stumps at 62-1 without further alarm.
They will require a further 343 on day three to avoid the follow-on.