Sussex fast bowler Billy Taylor should be fit for the start of the season even though he faces ankle surgery next week.

The 23-year-old will have an operation on a small stress fracture at the back of his heel which flared up at the end of last year when he was playing club cricket in New Zealand.

Taylor will join the rest of the squad on their pre-season tour of Grenada next month, but he will be restricted to fitness work and probably won't be able to bowl flat out for at least for six weeks.

He had the option of having a cortisone injection but preferred to go under the knife now to make sure the problem doesn't flare up again during the season.

He said: "I have to have a bit of bone at the back of my heel removed which has been caused by the pressure of bowling on my foot, it has caused me some discomfort.

"I haven't been able to do much running since I got back from New Zealand, but I have been working a lot on my fitness and doing weights to make my upper body stronger.

"Hopefully I will have time to get fit before the start of the season because this is a very important year for me."

Taylor turned down the offer of a year's extension to his contract at the end of last season because he doesn't want to 'get lazy.'

He said: "My contract expires at the end of this season and I'm backing myself to do enough to get a new one. I didn't want to get lazy because I knew I had another year whatever happens. I'm ambitious to play for England and I need to keep pushing myself all the time.

"That's why I wanted the operation done rather than have an injection. I don't want to take the risk of breaking down halfway through the season."

Sussex skipper Chris Adams made scores of nine and 12 as his New South Wales University side lost to Western Suburbs in their latest match in the Sydney Grade competition.