After a decade as the kingpin of their attack, James Kirtley is learning to accept a different role in the Sussex side.

For starters the 31-year-old is no longer a permanent fixture, his mantle as the focal point of their bowling taken by Rana Naved.

But after a winter when his future as a professional cricketer was on the line, the phlegmatic Kirtley seems happy to accept that, for him and Sussex, times have changed.

For the first time in a career which started in 1995, Kirtley played a fourday game against the tourists a fortnight ago.

That sort of fixture used to be the perfect opportunity for him to put his feet up. Instead, it was his first first-class match of the season and he was still a wet-behind-the-ears rookie the last time he had to wait until mid-May to claim his first first-class wicket of the summer.

Kirtley knew it would take time to groove the bowling action he re-modelled for the second time in his career during the winter.

But surely he must have hoped he would have played a bigger part in Sussex's best start to a Championship campaign since 1960?

Not so. Kirtley is learning to look at the bigger picture now. The days when he could be relied on for at least 50 wickets in a season may be over, possibly for good, but he will still have a part to play this summer.

Kirtley accepts that it would have sent out all the wrong messages had the county tinkered too much with a side responsible for their best start for 46 years.

He was expected to be confined to 12th man duties at Horsham today as the early leaders chased their fifth win out of six in the Championship.

"To miss out on those tight games against Hampshire, Yorkshire and Notts was frustrating but for all the right reasons," he insists.

"Winning those sorts of matches give you more pleasure as a player and winning close matches is what we have been about in recent years as a side. We have real momentum at the moment. Before, we've been good at getting that in the second half of the season when the ball is turning, the pitches are dry and Mushtaq Ahmed comes into his own.

"For the first time in ages we have a winning mood at the start of the season and our biggest test will be to keep performing with that same ruthlessness.

"If we could go into the Twenty20 break in a month's time with six Championship wins it would put us in a great position and the way we are playing it is not an unreasonable target."

By then Rana will have gone off to play for Pakistan. Sussex are working hard to line up a replacement but having a player with Kirtley's experience and proven record in the groove would clearly make the adjustment to life without him a lot easier.

"I know my time will come," he said. "We've talked in the past about rotating our fast bowlers and it may be an opportunity to do that now. I think it's a great idea although I would say that at the moment because I'm not in the side. I'm sure Jason (Lewry) thinks it's horrendous!

"But if two of us can take wickets at the same rate as Rana then I'm sure everyone would be happy.

"The important thing is to provide back-up for him at the other end. Jason has been doing that and Luke Wright and Robin Martin-Jenkins have also bowled important spells which haven't always got the rewards they deserve. We have bowled well in partnerships that has been the key.

"From a personal point of view I'm fresher at this stage of the season compared to recent years.

"I would have been very sensitive to not being in the side a couple of years ago but perhaps I'm a bit maturer now.

"Rana has been fantastic for our attack and we are lucky to have him but I still feel I will have a part to play this season."