Sussex skipper Chris Adams believes his side's top three batsmen will come good in the Championship.

Second-placed Sussex are challenging for their first ever title despite the disappointing form of openers Murray Goodwin and Richard Montgomerie and Adams himself.

They have scored just one Championship hundred between them while none average above 35.

"Myself and the two openers have carried the side for three years but we're struggling a bit at the moment," admitted Adams.

"That happens to every player during their career and in our case it makes the success which Tony Cottey, Tim Ambrose, Robin Martin-Jenkins and Matt Prior have had all the more gratifying.

"But at some stage this season our top three will play a major innings, I think you can be pretty sure of that.

"If we achieve anything this season it will be a shared effort but I think the performances of some of our less experienced guys just shows how much stronger we have become as a squad.

"We're not over-reliant on two or three players now and that is a sign of progress."

The county were at Grace Road today bidding to close the gap on leaders Surrey, who are without a match, against bottom club Leicestershire (11am).

Adams may be forced to make one change to the team which reeled off a third successive Championship win over Essex at the weekend.

Matt Prior (thigh strain) will have a fitness test before play with left-hander Michael Yardy poised to make his second appearance of the season if he does not make it.

Kevin Innes is also in the 13 and could replace Mark Davis.

Sussex: Montgomerie, Goodwin, Cottey, Adams, Ambrose, Martin-Jenkins, Prior or Yardy, Davis or Innes, Mushtaq, Kirtley, Lewry.

Leicestershire (from): Maunders, Sehwag, Hodge, Maddy, Stevens, Nixon, Snape, DeFreitas, Masters, Dagnall, Whiley, Amin.

Sussex start a four-day 2nd XI Championship match against Hampshire at Hove today (11am).

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