Paul Hutchison is one of only two Sussex players with Championship-winning experience.

But after having only a peripheral role in Yorkshire's 2001 triumph, he is desperate to play a bigger part in Sussex's bid to emulate the Tykes and end Surrey's recent domination of the competition.

The 26-year-old will make his first full appearance of the season at Trent Bridge tomorrow if, as seems likely, he gets the nod as a like-for-like replacement for the injured Jason Lewry when Sussex continue their pursuit of Surrey against Nottinghamshire.

He was selected for last month's game against Kent at Tunbridge Wells, but made way after bowling just five overs when James Kirtley was released from the England squad.

Now, with Lewry out for the next month as he recovers from a torn rib muscle, Hutchison is determined to make the most of his opportunity.

Various injuries means the left-arm bowler has spent almost as much time on the treatment table as the park in recent years. In the last five seasons he has played just 14 Championship games.

Now, though, he is fully fit and the hard work he did over the winter re-modelling his action and improving his fitness is paying dividends.

He has taken nearly 40 wickets in second team cricket and in recent weeks has won back his place in the county's one-day team. His 3-30 return with the new ball did so much to help Sussex to a narrow win over Durham in Tuesday's National League game at Hove.

It was his best performance in an admittedly short one-day career for the county thus far and, more importantly, offered further evidence that his career at Hove is beginning to flourish.

It's all a far cry from 12 months ago when he spent much of his first season sidelined by shin splints. When he did play it was evident to the coaching staff that the action, which had earned him 155 wickets for Yorkshire at an impressive average of 23, had fallen apart.

"This almost feels like the start of my Sussex career," he admitted this week.

"Basically last season was a write-off, it's gone as far as I'm concerned. Now I'm back and it's great to be part of the Championship team again, especially one which is doing so well."

Hutchison says work on his action, which had become stretched and round-armed in delivery, will continue.

"It feels back to what it was like before I signed for Sussex," he added. "There is still some tweaking to do and it's an ongoing process but there won't be any more radical changes and I'm quite happy with it."

Hutchison signed for Sussex in September 2001, two days after celebrating Yorkshire's title triumph. He may have felt like an outsider looking in as the Tykes celebrated on the balcony at Scarborough after playing just three games as Yorkshire led the table from start to finish.

But he believes it will be so different this time if Sussex can overhaul Surrey and clinch the first Championship in their history.

"You do feel part of things, even in the second team," he said. "There is no differential between first and second team players anymore, there is constant feedback between the two and everyone is pulling in the same direction.

"Until now I have felt like I'm on the outside a little bit which is frustrating. But Jason had been bowling really well and James (Kirtley) is the same as ever, very consistent.

"We have a small squad and we need to keep performing at the highest level all the time, but that doesn't seem to have been a problem so far. We've played consistently good cricket and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue."

The county are five points behind Surrey, who began their latest game against Middlesex at Guildford yesterday, and are anxious not to look any further ahead than the next four days at Trent Bridge.

But, inevitably, a lot of the talk at Hove this week centred around next Wednesday's summit meeting of the top two at Hove, a contest even Surrey captain Adam Hollioake reckons is a 'must win' game for his side.

Hutchison said: "Surrey have got a much bigger squad, a lot of whom have Test match experience, and they can pick and choose if one of their players is out of form and usually replace like for like.

"They have got all the superstars, all we can do is keep plugging away and try to maintain the pressure.

"Having said that, if it's me and Billy (Taylor) opening the bowling tomorrow I don't think we would let anyone down. We're both desperate to be part of the success we're having this season "

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