Things looked reassuringly familiar for James Kirtley when he pitched up at Swansea yesterday.

The walk from the pavilion to the outfield at St Helen's is the longest on the county circuit down a vast concrete terrace which, during the winter, is populated by supporters of the local rugby team. The players still have to change in relays because the dressing rooms aren't the biggest and it still rains an awful lot.

But Swansea will always evoke fond memories for Kirtley. For it was here, almost ten years to the day, that he made his first-class debut for Sussex.

It's hard to believe that the 30-year-old has now been pounding in for a decade, straining every sinew on Sussex's behalf as he hunts down opposition batsmen.

But it is a testament to his enduring skill that of county bowlers who have played against him during the last ten years, only ten have taken more first-class wickets. He is younger than all those contemporaries and reckons he is capable of playing for another five years. He should get close to 1,000 wickets by the time he hangs up his bowling boots.

That sort of achievement would have seemed like an impossible dream for a wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old a decade ago. Back then, Kirtley's only ambition was to make sure he did enough to get his contract extended beyond the 1995 season.

"I'd made my one-day debut the previous week against Kent which was a surprise and I travelled down thinking I was going just to be cover," he said.

"But we lost a lot of time to rain and decided to play an extra seamer instead of Eddie Hemmings. I wasn't expecting to play, but everyone says that about their debut don't they?"

Kirtley came on as second change and took 1-28 from 11 overs in the first innings. His first victim was Tony Cottey, who went on to become a team-mate for six of those next ten years.

He took the new ball in the second innings but only because Ed Giddins and Franklyn Stephenson were banned from opening the bowling because they had warmed-up on the side of the wicket.

The match was drawn and Kirtley was on his way. But over 300 matches, including four Tests, and 800-plus wickets later, has the game changed that much in the last ten years?

"There were some very good players in that team," he said. "Jason Lewry was bowling well, Giddo was at the top of his game and Franklyn was an awesome performer. Then you had Ian Salisbury who was a consistent wicket-taker. So the quality of our team isn't much different.

"I think an area where the game has changed is fitness. Back then we reported back on April 1. We knew we had to be running fit but it wasn't as specific as it is now. We were just finding out about things like core stability and weight training."

One area where skills are better is fielding. Kirtley can still remember Peter Moores, who was keeping wicket, haranguing him because the Glamorgan batsman ran two virtually every time down to Kirtley at third man.

"I could throw okay, but I didn't have the strength to get it in quickly. Mooresy had a go at me and I got the message although at the time I guess all I wanted to do was bowl as fast as I can."

Just as Kirtley now takes an active interest in the development of the next generation of Sussex quicks, so he was looked after at the start of his career. Paul Jarvis, the nearest equivalent to Kirtley because of his skiddy pace, offered advice and encouragement.

"I was a naive 20-year-old and fortunate that people like Neil Lenham, Bill Athey and Jamie Hall looked out for me. But it was still a big learning curve. All I wanted to do was get a longer contract than a year so I didn't feel as if I was always trying to prove myself."

He did and has been part of the furniture at Hove since. There have been highs - the 6-34 on his England debut in 2003 being the obvious one - and lows along the way. Two years before he played his first Test, Kirtley was forced into lengthy remedial work as doubts about his bowling action persisted.

Last season he took just 33 Championship wickets - his worst ever return. There were mitigating circumstances but towards the end of the summer there were signs that he was rediscovering his consistency.

Already this year he has 25 first-class victims and is on course to take 50 for the seventh time in his career. His target is to have 35 by the time the Twenty20 bunfight begins in three weeks time.

Kirtley began his career at a time when Sussex were well stocked with quicker bowlers. The cupboard looks a little barer these days although he takes a special interest in Luke Wright, who has the makings of becoming the next Kirtley. And he has some interesting views on developing the next generation.

"Fast bowling doesn't seem to be as fashionable as it was. For a while every kid wanted to bowl like Shane Warne but I think it will pick up," he said.

"There must be good young basketball players or athletes who are not quite good enough in their own sport whom you could condition with a bowling action."

June 2, 2005