Tony Cottey would love to emulate his achievements of 2003 when his batting underpinned Sussex's historic Championship success.

The 37-year-old passed 1,000 runs for the first time in five years at Hove while the seven consecutive half-centuries he made during high summer was only one short of C.B. Fry's county record which has stood since 1900.

But even if his 18th season in the first-class game is as successful as his 17th, it is unlikely to change his mind about retiring in September.

His good form earned him a year's extension when his five-year contract expired at the end of last season. He remains one of the fittest players in the squad while no one has done more to help foster the team spirit which has been the cornerstone of the Sussex success story.

His mind, however, seems to be made up. Cottey decided not to uproot his young family from his home in Swansea when he came to Sussex in 1999 and now he feels it's time to return permanently to South Wales.

"My wife was happy for me to sign for another year, but this will be my last," he said. "I've enjoyed everything about playing for Sussex and being part of the first Sussex team to win the Championship was unbelievable.

"It's for family reasons, not cricketing ones. My daughters are ten and six and it's been hard to be away from them for six months of the year when I'm up here."

He's already made some enquiries about a career after cricket in sports development. There's also the growing business he set up last year selling high quality Welsh-made leisure wear and jewellry, both to the home market and ex-pats abroad. It's name - Ysbryd - translates as 'spirit', a word which epitomises Cottey nicely.

There's no danger of him winding down gently to retirement though.

Having joined a fairly exclusive club of current players who have won titles with two counties, he would love to bow out with three Championship winners' medals.

No one relishes a challenge more and, with Ian Ward arriving at Hove, he faces one more before calling it a day.

"Someone who played regularly last year is going to miss out but it's always been the case here that if you perform you stay in the side," he said. "Everyone is highly motivated because not many players are guaranteed a place apart from the captain, it's a healthy position for the club to be in."

Cottey has approached the new season in the same relaxed way as he began 2003. It looked as if it might have been his last and, with the pressure off, Sussex supporters saw the best of him.

His purple patch began at Hove in June with 188 against Warwickshire, his first century at Hove for four years, flourished at Arundel where he was two runs short of scoring a hundred in both innings and continued four days later with another ton, this time against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

"I played well in 2002 but I wasn't as consistent as last year, that was the difference," he said. "I changed my game a little when I missed most of 2001 following the operation on my elbow and since then, I suppose, I've been nearer the form I had earlier in my career."

Cottey helped Glamorgan to the title in 1997, but the following season they finished 13th. Yorkshire went from champions in 2001 to the wooden spoon and for all the people who believe Sussex are capable of mouting a resolute defence of their crown, there are an equal number, mostly outside the county of course, who think they could fall flat on their faces.

"People will expect a lot and we've got to be prepared to work at it," added Cottey.

"We've been made aware that we are going to have to all find another 10 per cent in our performances because the other sides are going to be gunning for us.

"Mushtaq Ahmed was the difference last year, but we wouldn't have won the Championship without everyone contributing at some stage like we did.

"We had a great team spirit and even the guys who weren't in the side didn't rock the boat. We also enjoyed each other's successes."

It's been a while since Cottey was taking his first steps in professional cricket. How he'd love his last ones to be towards the winner's rostrun as Chris Adams holds the Championship trophy aloft again.