Most counties would be devastated at losing the services of a batsman who had scored 2,000 runs in a season.

That is the very real possibility facing Sussex this weekend because of Michael Bevan's commitments to Australia next year.

But if Bevan has to pull out, the blow will undoubtedly be softened if Sussex can re-sign Murray Goodwin for another summer.

There cannot have been too many more popular overseas players than the 28-year-old Zimbabwean who joined Sussex for a season while Bevan opted out of the second year of his contract so he could rest, and could end up spending several years with the county.

We will deal with his phenomenal performance on the field in a moment, but Goodwin has made just as favourable an impression with his team-mates and the Sussex supporters during the past five months.

Happy to talk freely to members and media, he is always willing to chat to chew the cud or sign autographs. The same could not always be said of his predecessor.

The idea that he might open the innings was only sprung on him as he was driven from Heathrow airport to Hove after his arrival in April.

He had envisaged batting at No. 4, but he was quite happy to do anything which helped the side. And if you want to know just how much he has benefitted the side ask Adams or his opening partner.

Richard Montgomerie did make a couple of minor technical adjustments to his game during the winter, but that has not been the main reason behind the transformation of a player who scored 769 Championship runs last season and has made double that amount this year.

"Murray is a fine player and I have really enjoyed opening with him," said Montgomerie.

"Having a regular opening partner is very important to me. In my first season with Sussex I opened virtually all of the season with Toby Peirce and we ended up putting on five opening partnerships of 100 runs or more.

"Murray has been great fun to bat with too. He is a quality player who has really helped me this season."

Of Goodwin's seven first-class hundreds I would say that the most recent, in the promotion-clinching draw at Edgbaston last week, was the best, not just for the quality of some of the shots but also the circumstances in which the innings was played.

On a first day pitch offering plenty of assistance to the Warwickshire bowlers, Goodwin's mind set was clear early on. He was going to bat for as long as possible. When he was spectacularly caught on the boundary four overs from the end he had made 150.

The next highest score was Chris Adams' 33 and Goodwin had done more than most to make sure Sussex would be playing First Division cricket next season, whether he is there with them or not.

Goodwin, Montgomerie and Adams have all passed 1,000 runs. The last time three Sussex players did that was in 1993.

No Sussex player had scored more than seven first-class centuries in a season since Alan Wells ten years ago.

Goodwin equalled that mark last week while Montgomerie's second innings 121 bettered it.

No one around the County Ground would be complaining were the pair to be back in harness next summer trying to emulate their achievements on a bigger stage.