In Twenty20 terms, Ian Ward has been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

He helped Surrey win the inaugural competition and scored the first fifty in a final. He even wore a helmet with a miniature TV camera on the front to give viewers a batsman's eye view of the thrills and spills.

Ward's Twenty20 experiences were not quite as much fun when he moved to Sussex last year and his new county won just once and finished bottom of the south group.

But the Sharks have only lost twice in 19 one-day matches since then and will go into tonight's opener against Essex Eagles at Hove confident of reaching the knockout stages for the first time.

Nothing would give Ward greater satisfaction than returning to the Oval for finals day on July 30 and winning the trophy with Sussex, especially if there was time to fit in a couple of commentary shifts with Sky Sports as well.

But the beauty of Twenty20 is that no county can be discounted. Who would have bet on Leicestershire taking Surrey's crown off them last season?

"You would hope we can take the good form we've shown in one-day cricket into Twenty20 but it will be tough," warned Ward.

"Sussex haven't played Twenty20 too well in the last two years. In the first season I felt when I played against them for Surrey that they hadn't really worked out a method of playing it, the guys seemed a bit too keyed-up.

"We didn't do a lot better last year when I joined but this team is capable of being consistent in all forms of cricket.

"We have more of a plan in one-day cricket and have been successful but the biggest difference is that even our younger guys are thinking for themselves now and know their roles.

"Players like Matt Prior, Mike Yardy, Carl Hopkinson and Luke Wright have matured. We already had the best death' bowler in the country in James Kirtley and experienced batters like Chris (Adams) and Murray (Goodwin). So the ingredients are there for us to be successful."

It is the frenzied nature of Twenty20 which has made it so popular and players love the atmosphere generated by noisy crowds in packed-out grounds. But there is no need to psyche yourself up, according to Ward. In fact the best approach is to be totally the opposite.

"I think one of the reasons why Surrey have been so successful is that they are so relaxed," he added. "It's all a bit hectic when you're out there but you have to calm yourself down, not psyche yourself up so you can think clearly.

"You have to re-invent your game almost. As a batsman that means improvising by stepping away to give yourself room or taking a stride down the pitch and hitting over the top.

"In the first season it was a case of suck it and see but there was much more evidence of players having a plan last year. There are some good cricket brains in the county game, players aren't as dumb as some people might think."

Ward will go into Twenty20 heartened by a blistering 93 - his highest score of the season in any cricket - in Sunday's totesport League win over Durham. Alongside Prior at the top of the order, he will have a key role.

So too will Mark Davis. Slow bowlers were expected to suffer in Twenty20 but few have because they adapted by taking the pace off the ball and bowling full to prevent batsmen from launching the big shots.

"All the county's spinners have been effective," he said. "You have to be committed to bowling in the block hole so batsmen can't get underneath you to play the really big shots. I was worried we were going to be slogged out of the ground when we started. But if you take pace off the ball and throw in the odd arm (quicker) ball it can be hard work for them.

"It's also harder for new batsmen to come in against spinners and get the pace of the pitch straightaway. You try and rush them off their feet by getting through your three or four overs as quickly as possible."

Is Twenty20 a batsman's game or a bowler's game? Frankly, the 5,000 or so who cram into Hove tonight will not care. All that matters is that Sussex make a winning start.

June 22, 2005