Kevin Innes admitted today that his future may lie away from Sussex after he was told he can look for a new county.

The 28-year-old all-rounder is frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities and has been given permission to speak to other clubs. His current contract expires at the end of the season.

Innes, who joined Sussex from Northamptonshire three years ago, played in the opening two Championship games and the first three one-day matches.

But he has been out of the picture since then, losing his Championship place to off-spinner Mark Davis and his slot in the one-day team to the emerging Luke Wright.

Ironically, with Jason Lewry out for three weeks after knee surgery and Sussex unsure whether to play both spinners, Innes is in contention for a recall when Championship action resumes after a month-long break against Kent at Hove tomorrow (11am).

Davis will probably get the nod, but Innes and Wright are both options should Sussex decide to play an extra seamer.

Innes asked to look elsewhere after talking to director of cricket Peter Moores last week.

He said: "The way things are going I'm probably not going to be with Sussex next season.

"It's not as though I don't want to play for Sussex because I desperately do, but I'm looking to the future as well.

"Mark Davis came in for me earlier in the season which is fair enough, but I feel I am a better player than a No.8. I feel as if I'm batting well enough to play in the top six as well as holding my own with the ball.

"I didn't feel as if I did anything wrong earlier in the season. I felt I did all I could performance-wise, but I just haven't been picked."

Innes has been on a diet of second team cricket for the last two months where he has impressed coach Mark Robinson, averaging in the 70s with the bat and chipping in with regular wickets.

"I feel as if I'm playing with more freedom than I've ever done," said Innes. "It would have been easy to mope around in the seconds but the atmosphere is really good and it helps that we've won quite a few games.

"I haven't changed my game at all and I feel as if I'm playing as well now as I've ever done for Sussex, but I just haven't had the opportunities."

Two wins from their remaining eight fixtures would appear to be the minimum target to avoid the drop a year after clinching the first title in the club's history a year ago.

Moores said: "The squad had a meeting on Tuesday and they felt that the thing which hindered us in the first half of the season was that we were guilty of looking too far ahead instead of keeping things simple.

"We have a clear plan now which is not to look too far ahead and see where we get to.

"If we get a couple of wins that's great and if not we will have to keep scrapping to try and get out of the relegation zone."

Moores is convinced his side are in better shape than when they signed off the first half of the Championship campaign with defeat inside three days to Gloucestershire at Arundel a month ago.

"We know there is a lot of hard work to do, but the mood is as good as it has been all season," he added. "There's a nice freshness about things, it feels as if we are starting the season again but hopefully this time we won't get distracted and performances will improve."

Sussex (probable): Ward, Montgomerie, Goodwin, Adams, Cottey, Prior, Martin-Jenkins, Davis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Kirtley, Akram.

Kent (from): Carberry, Fulton, Smith, Symonds, Walker, Loudon, Tredwell, O'Brien, Patel, Khan, Butler, Saggers