After a varied and exciting five weeks of pre-season preparation we were raring to go and only the weather could spoil our first game against Worcestershire.

I wrote these opening lines on Tuesday night but, as I sit in the pavilion at New Road,on the first morning of the game, I look out on a scene more reminiscent of the Worcester swimming baths than of the cricket ground.

There are three ducks swimming in a large puddle at third man (which I hope aren't a sign of things to come!) And, in what can only be described as a small pond at square leg, I can see the reflection of the Cathedral. It is a beautiful scene but unfortunately there is no prospect of play.

This is confirmed when umpire Shepherd finishes his inspection by asking if he can borrow a towel to dry his feet. We all trudged back to the hotel disappointed at the sense of anti-climax. As they say, tomorrow is the day after today, so fingers are crossed.

The weather has given us time to reflect on our varied and exciting pre-season. The new faces have been successfully integrated into the squad. They are all great blokes and should fit in extremely well.

The two young keepers, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose, are both extremely talented players and 'Aldridge' Prior had deserved selection for the first time. Tony Cottey is very happy too because with these two and Murray Goodwin joining us he is no longer the only one who has to get his team clothing specially delivered from Gap Kids.

With Tim Ambrose's Aussie twang, Murray Goodwin's strange combination of Australian and Zimbabwean and Mark Davis's definite South African lilt, the squad has a more exotic feel about it this year. If you add a Zuiderent and a Rashid (alias Ali G) into the equation you can see that globalisation has truly taken place.

Maybe this was the reason we were lucky enough to fly to Grenada for two weeks. Guaranteed sun, good wickets and excellent practice facilities were the reasons that became obvious to us once we had arrived. Hard work was the order of the day.

There was time to relax and enjoy the beautiful setting, however, and it was these occasions that provided the best memories. We had spent our first 'day off' on a large catamaran sailing around the island to a secluded beach where snorkelling and a barbecue completed the picture postcard Caribbean adventure.

A calm sea alleviated any fears of queasy stomachs and a tremendous time was had by all. So much so that on our last day we decided to repeat the trip.

There was a slight breeze on the morning of our final day but it was enough to produce a large swell once the boat was dancing merrily out in the Caribbean Ocean.

The next four hours, as the boat battled its way towards an island, must have seemed like a lifetime to the five or six unlucky cricketers whose stomachs had decided that the sea was a better place for the food and drink consumed the previous evening.

I can't remember who they all were, but I do have one image of poor Mark Robinson looking as green as it's possible for a human being to look and mumbling that this was the worst day of his life.

As the boat rounded the corner of a cliff a stunning white beach with palm trees and turquoise coloured water came into view, those of us lucky enough not to be affected by the sea sickness suddenly couldn't really see what the fuss was all about!

Robin Martin-Jenkins will be writing every Thursday on Sussex cricket in the Argus and on our Sussex Cricket site at http://thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk.