Lancashire captain Warren Hegg today backed Sussex to make a strong defence of the County Championship.

The red rose county were widely tipped to win their first outright title in 70 years before a ball was bowled and they looked even stronger favourites after they thrashed the champions by ten wickets on Friday and handed Chris Adams' men their first defeat at Hove since September 2002.

But Hegg has been around long enough to know that it would be foolish to write off Sussex after one defeat and he believes they remain one of Lancashire's biggest rivals.

He said: "Sussex are still going to be there or thereabouts and you can't write off sides like Surrey, Warwickshire or Kent either.

"Sussex deserved to be champions last season, it's up to ourselves and the chasing pack to try and knock them off their pedestal.

"They have a strong batting line-up and a world class performer in Mushtaq Ahmed. We're a good team who have every chance of being in the shake-up, but I've played long enough to know how it can all change in a couple of weeks."

Hegg laughed at suggestions that his side were more fired up than usual after his opposite number Chris Adams had accused Lancashire of being 'good at complaining' in the build-up to the match.

"I just laughed about that to be honest," added Hegg. "Both teams get on really well. It's competitive out in the middle, which you would expect, but there is healthy respect for each other as well."

Sussex are likely to resist the temptation to make changes to the side for another difficult assignment at New Road against promoted Worcestershire, starting on Wednesday.

Apart from Stuart Law, no batsmen on either side in the Lancashire game got to grips with a pitch typical of so many at Hove last season when Sussex were unbeaten in the Championship.

"It can take a while to get going at Hove, especially if you are a front foot player like me. You have to play a fraction later and that means playing more precisely and straighter," said Adams.

There was nothing wrong with Sussex's bowling, though, and their attack should relish conditions at New Road where seamers tend to dominate, especially in early season.

The renewed threat of Mushtaq Ahmed will be a difficult proposition to many of the Worcestershire batsmen who won't have encountered him before.

The leg spinner certainly looked more like his old self last week when he took 4-88 after struggling for rhythm in Sussex's Championship opener against Surrey a week ago.

"The one thing I had to get out of the Lancashire game was overs from Mushtaq," added Adams.

"By his own admission he was far from the bowler we know he can be at the Oval, he was trying too hard."

There was no lengthy dressing room inquest following the Lancashire defeat but Adams and Director of cricket Peter Moores will be interested in the reaction from their side to last week's setback. "We've come through seven days against the strongest two sides in the league and it was always going to be difficult," said Adams.

"If you are going to be champions you have to come through fixtures like this but win, lose or draw nothing was ever going to be decided after two games.

"When we had setbacks last season we had a habit of bouncing back and that's what good teams do."

Sussex 195 (R R Montgomerie 60 no) & 163 (D G Cork 5-58) v Lancashire 335 (S G Law 171 no, Mushtaq Ahmed 4-88) & 24-0.

Lancashire (20pts) beat Sussex (3pts) by 10 wkts.