Bruce Talbot followed Sussex throughout their promotion-winning season. Here he reflects on the highs and lows of Sussex's long-suffering fans.
BEST MOMENT: Just after 3.15pm last Friday when Murray Goodwin stroked Alastair Bressington through extra cover to secure a ten wicket win over Gloucestershire and promotion to Division One as champions.
BEST PLAYER: Hard to look beyond James Kirtley who finished as the country's leading wicket-taker, but I'd go for Richard Montgomerie. His performances have been transformed by the arrival of Murray Goodwin, the reliable opening partner Monty has needed since he joined the club to bring out the best in him. He scored 2,554 runs in all cricket and, if he'd been a few years younger, would probably be playing for England by now.
BEST INNINGS: Again a tough one, but Goodwin's 150 at Edgbaston a fortnight ago takes some beating. Bearing in mind the importance of the match it was an outstanding innings where the concentration Goodwin displayed on a difficult wicket was as good as some of the shots he played.
BEST BOWLING: It's got to be Jason Lewry's single-handed destruction of Hampshire in July. He took 13-79 including a second innings hat-trick against one of Sussex's main promotion rivals.
BEST ONE-DAY BATTING: Bas Zuiderent's maiden hundred in the B amd H victory over Hampshire back in May. Zuiderent's form fell away in the second half of the season, but his contributions early on played an important part in the success Sussex enjoyed.
BEST ONE-DAY BOWLING: For consistent performances week in, week out it has to be Mark Robinson whose 22 wickets came at a cost of less than 22 runs.
BEST DAY'S CRICKET: Where do you start? The second day against Hampshire, when Lewry blew away Hampshire, the final day of the Gloucestershire game when James Kirtley destroyed their lower order batting to seal the title and the third day at Trent Bridge when Montgomerie and Goodwin put on an unbeaten 372 for the first wicket.
WORST DAY'S CRICKET: Probably the first day at Cheltenham. Chris Adams won the toss, put Gloucestershire in and watched them pile up 415-5 on one of the hottest days of the season.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: The injury which kept Tony Cottey out after he'd played one of his best innings for Sussex in the opening game against Worcestershire and looked in excellent form.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Tim Ambrose. Outstanding behind and in front of the wicket when he got his chance at the end of the season.
INSPIRED MOMENTS: Adams coming on at the Riverside and taking a career-best 4-28 and Umer Rashid bowling out Durham in the same game by taking 4-9. I also think the county have made an excellent signing in Paul Hutchison, their new fast bowler from Yorkshire.
UNSUNG HERO: Coach Peter Moores took a lot of flak at the end of last season and deserves a lot of credit for masterminding Sussex's transformation.
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Two players, who will remain nameless, maintaining the Sussex tradition of celebrating any success by streaking across the outfield in the dusk at Hove last Friday with only the Division Two championship trophy to cover their modesty.
BEST CELEBRATION: Richard Montgomerie's first first-class wicket in the last over of the drawn match against Middlesex. What's more he took it at Lord's.
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