Murray Goodwin is ready to return to Sussex after serving up another last-game spectacular yesterday.

Goodwin, who ended 2003 with a county-record 335 in the title-clincher against Leicestershire, brought the curtain down on this summer with an entertaining 119 against old foes Surrey.

It was not enough to stave off a 37-run defeat in the last Championship tussle of the season but neither does it appear to have been his farewell innings for the county.

Although no official announcement has been made about his future, it now appears Goodwin will return for a fifth year at Sussex, possibly under a Kolpak agreement.

Director of cricket Peter Moores said: "Murray has agreed to come and play for us. The details of the contract, the salary terms, whether he is an overseas player or a Kolpak have to be thrashed out.

"He has an agent who we've got to talk to but we will get that sorted over the next couple of weeks. Then hopefully we'll announce whether it's one, two, three years or whatever it is.

"You can't force a player to come back but every indication he has given to me is that he loves playing here and he is very keen to come back next year."

If, as Chris Adams expects, Goodwin signs Kolpak terms, Sussex may add an overseas star to their attack.

The Sussex skipper - who passed 1,000 Championship runs for the season - said: "I've mixed feelings about Kolpak because I want to see as many English-qualified players as I can play county cricket but Murray is in a different position.

"He's part of Sussex, he has been here for quite some time now and I've no problem signing Murray."

Adams admitted he felt "satisfaction but not elation" at finishing fifth and expects Sussex to be contenders for a prize next year.

He said: "We have been in the top six for three years in a row. We've got the firepower to score runs and, if we can find a formula for bowling sides out consistently, we will always be in contention.

"If we've got aspirations to win the title we should use the option of signing another overseas player, then mix our good young English-qualified players around those three positions. That's very much the plan."

Moores confirmed Sussex would strengthen their bowling if finances permitted.

He said: "If we could find a seamer who fitted the bill we would be looking to probably recruit in that area."

Goodwin flew out to Australia last night having treated supporters to 12 fours and two sixes off 153 balls. Victory hopes only really faded when he was sixth out on 243.

Matt Prior had gone two overs and one run previously after sharing a stand of 85 for the fifth wicket, driving Jimmy Ormond loosely to mid-on.

The last six wickets fell for 44 as Surrey spinner Nayan Doshi claimed a career-best 7-110.

Earlier, Jason Lewry provided some fireworks with three wickets in four balls to end the Surrey innings.

All three were clean bowled, including centurion Ali Brown, as Lewry claimed season's best figures of 5-66.

That left Sussex hoping Tony Cottey would mark his final innings for the county with a match-winning contribution.

He was applauded all the way to the wicket, including by incoming batsman Richard Montgomerie, then clapped all the way back half-an-hour later, having been dismissed for four.

There was no glorious finale as he holed out on the legside boundary, just backward of square, off Doshi's first over.

Perhaps more appropriate was that Cottey, who is now expected to end his 18-year professional career, went out the way he always played the game, in a highly professional manner, chasing hard to turn fours into threes on a couple of occasions in the morning session as Surrey added to their lead.

That sort of approach earned him the club man of the year award, while Mushtaq was player of the season as the club gave out their end-of-year prizes at close of play.

All that took place in front of the pavilion. Behind closed doors, the masterplan to get their hands on some more prestigious silverware is clearly already underway.