The redevelopment of Old Trafford means that Lancashire will be playing seven Championship matches on outgrounds this summer, five of them alongside the Mersey at Aigburth.
Seven matches, seven likely result pitches if Blackpool and Southport live up to expectations.
And if Lancashire win more than they lose, they might just be in contention for that elusive first outright Championship since 1934.
With Sussex still needing 78 to make the Red Rose bat again, they should wrap up the first of those victories on a pitch offering increasing help to the left-arm spin of Gary Keedy.
It was Keedy who made the initial breakthrough after Chris Nash and Ed Joyce had given Sussex, trailing by 229 on first innings, a flying start second time around.
They had reached 65 in 11 overs when Lancashire skipper Glen Chapple turned to Keedy five overs before tea and in his second over, Joyce slog-swept to the leaping Sajid Mahmood at mid-wicket.
Oliver Newby pinned Nash leg before in the next over and when Luke Wells followed Joyce’s rash example and was caught by Stephen Moore, Sussex were still 124 behind and Lancashire smelt blood.
Murray Goodwin and Joe Gatting had other ideas, however, denying the Lancashire attack for 19 overs in reducing the arrears by another 46 runs.
Earlier Lancashire’s highest Championship total since August 2009 was underpinned by half centuries of differing character from Steven Croft, Tom Smith and Gareth Cross.
The fluent Croft, who hit eight fifties last season without going on to reach three figures, looked set to put the record straight until he was well caught by Joyce at slip off Monty Panesar’s second delivery for 64..
Cross, who who made his debut behind the wicket in 2005 and has finally been given an extended run following the departure of Luke Sutton to Derbyshire, creamed a belligerent 63, with eight fours, until he heaved at Panesar and was bowled.
And after the England spinner had dismissed Chapple first ball, the dogged Smith, whose half century came from 127 balls with six fours, was bowled off a bottom edge by Amjad Khan.
That solid effort by the middle order was enough to give Lancashire a commanding lead that gives Keedy the opportunity to prove the matchwinner on Monday.
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