There were several moments during our Championship win against Kent at the weekend when I felt like shouting: "That's better. That's more like the Sussex we have come to know."

I'm sure if I was thinking that, many of you who were watching were as well.

It was a dry, dusty, sweaty street brawl of a victory - the kind we revelled in last year.

There were moments of splendour to savour, most notably some of Matt Prior's strokeplay, which is always a treat to watch. But the margin of the victory by an innings and 45 runs belied the true story of the match.

For the most part it was a tight victory which we had to grind out. Persistence was required by the bowlers and fielders when Kent were 228-3 at tea on the first day.

Patience, not to mention skill and endurance, was then required by all of our batsmen in order to post a match-winning total against some testing bowling.

Finally, concentration was needed for the bowlers to finish the game off on the last day before we could return to the dressing room for a beer in hand (apart from Ahmed and Akram!).

Of course Tony Cottey was the star of the game and deserves the plaudits after what had been a frustrating season for him up until last week. Mushtaq, too, was a constant threat as he always is and always will be.

But it was the all-round contribution of the team that ensured the victory as it did at Old Trafford in June and in any of the ten games we won last year. This spirit was echoed in Mark Davis's performance.

Mark excelled in what was probably his most significant game for the county. On a wicket that helped the spinners more and more as the game went on he was as dangerous as his spin twin Mushy.

It may be that opposition batsmen see the Pakistani as the main threat and therefore work out their game plans for him. Whether they relax and lose concentration when Mark comes onto to bowl I do not know, but the Kent batsmen didn't know how to cope with his off spin and he picked up vital wickets early in his spells.

He was particularly dangerous against Kent's array of left-handers. To have people turning the ball different ways at either end (and in the case of Mushy all ways at one end) gives us a real attacking option.

During my two winters in India I talked to a lot of people about the art of batting against spin bowling. I had various theories thrown at me, from those who thought an initial forward press movement as the bowler released the ball would be beneficial, to those who argued the key was to make a decision about where the ball was going to land early and then going as far forward or back as you can.

What they all agreed on, however, was the fact that you had to go to the crease with a clear idea about which method you would employ and then it was vital to trust that method and stick to it during your innings.

For the most part, I'd argue the Kent batsmen were not clear in their methods.

They would try and block the spinning ball for a while before randomly trying to launch it to the boundary to relieve the pressure. Sometimes it paid off, but at other times a catch or a stumping was the result.

David Fulton and Matt Walker looked the most composed and organised and, therefore not coincidentally, were the most successful of the Kent batsmen.

For us, the way Cottey used his quick feet to get to the pitch of the ball, thus nullifying the effect of the spin, and work the ball into the gaps for singles, was a master class.

We can only hope that his return to the side will be the catalyst the club needed to turn our season around.