England head coach Peter Moores, who is on the selection panel that will name the next Test squad on Thursday, has hinted he believes it may be too early to bring back Flintoff after six weeks out with a side strain.

But after bowling 19 overs with pace and aggression but no luck against Sussex in his continuing County Championship comeback yesterday, Preston ace Flintoff insisted: "I feel great, really great."

Then he sprinted off, shrugging off more requests for autographs having already signed a so many outside the dressing room at Hove and jumped aboard the team bus.

After his longest stint with the ball – in three separate spells – in the entire match he still finished wicketless with figures of 0-43 even though Lancashire continued to control the match.

And he knew his luck was out even before lunch when Sussex captain Chris Adams thick-edged a delivery to Paul Horton at first slip only for the third umpire Richard Illingworth to rule out the 'catch'.

Another Flintoff ball caught Adams on the arm, although he subsequently swatted him away for two successive boundaries.

The England all-rounder then hit both Matt Prior and Ollie Rayner on their helmets but an elusive first wicket eluded him and instead it was Glen Chapple who led the way with an impressive 21 overs, which reaped 4-49.

Out-of-form Adams later played on to Chapple for 22, a similar dismissal to the first innings, and it needed a stand of 61 between Prior and Murray Goodwin to revive Sussex.

Goodwin remained unbeaten after a gutsy 77, with the home side only 84 ahead with four wickets left.

Lancashire, who led by 139 on first innings, are still favourites to inflict a second successive Championship home defeat on Sussex who, until May, had gone nearly four years at Hove unbeaten.

The biggest worry for them may be the forecast of heavy rain for today's fourth day but captain Stuart Law's outstanding 158 not out in their first innings could still prove a match-winner.