So far so good sums up Sussex's performances in the first half of the Championship campaign.

Six wins out of eight represents their best start since the Thirties and the days of Arthur Gilligan but cricket manager Mark Robinson insists his side are capable of further improvement as they try to overhaul leaders Lancashire.

Sussex have already won one more game and accumulated more points than they had at this stage of the 2003 season when they went on to win the title for the first time so the omens are good. With leaders Lancashire not in action this week, even a draw against Kent at Hove would enable Sussex to move back to the top of the table.

During the frenzy of Twenty20 Cup cricket, Robinson and his coaching staff have made sure the players kept one eye on trying to win the prize that still matters the most in domestic cricket.

Before Tuesday's game against Essex, three senior batsmen had a 'proper' net against the red ball.

James Kirtley has been bowling with the red ball again for the best part of a week and Jason Lewry, who did not play any Twenty20 cricket, tuned up for the resumption of the Championship with a run out for the second team.

The players should be ready physically but adjusting from the frenzied atmosphere of playing 20-over cricket in front of full houses to the more gentle rhythms of the Championship is one of the hardest things for a player to do.

There is certainly no chance of a full house at Hove this week although Sussex members, many of whom do not even attend the hit-and-giggle stuff, will relish the fact that normal service resumes today.

No queue for the bar, no one sitting in their favourite deckchair and not too much action missed if they happen to drop off after lunch.

Making sure his players are prepared for the transition started last week, according to Robinson.

He said: "It has been a busy few days for the coaching staff because we are trying to get the players tuned into the basics of red ball cricket again.

"But it will still be a culture shock today and how we perform will depend on how quickly the players start performing with the same tenacity and determination they showed in the first half of the season.

"They need to get themselves excited to play in games where they will have to compete for long periods of time.

"It won't be easy but it's on days when there are smaller crowds and much less of a buzz that players stand up and perform.

"I can talk about it and rev them up but the players need to find the strength from within themselves to do it, both against Kent and in the games that follow. They have to dig in, it is all about being a professional."

Robinson may sound a bit like a general preparing his troops for battle but the prize at the end is certainly worth fighting for - a second Championship in four seasons.

The omens for a sustained challenge are good. Mushtaq Ahmed already has 53 wickets but has always done better in the second half of the summer and in the last game against Yorkshire the evidence was that the batsmen were once again coming to terms with the fact that big first innings scores will always keep Sussex in the game because of the potency of their bowling attack.

Robinson said: "If we won another six out of eight we would be cheesed off if we didn't win it.

"The wickets should be a bit better and we've got some momentum after our performance in the last game against Yorkshire. We set a high standard in that match which we must try to maintain.

"I don't think it's any coincidence that our best performances came at Horsham and Arundel on good pitches.

"Our team love playing on surfaces with pace and bounce because our batsmen like the ball coming onto the bat and we have a bowling attack to suit them. But whatever we get we will have to deal with it."

Four of the remaining games are at Hove and, although pitches at headquarters have not had the pace and bounce which would suit Sussex, they have learned now to win on their own patch.

Two of those games are against their nearest rivals, Lancashire and Hampshire, but it could be how Sussex perform away from home that will be key to their hopes.

They will fancy their chances at spin-friendly Southgate next week but two of their remaining games are at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, grounds where they have traditionally struggled.

Then there are the other factors like injuries and interruptions from the weather.

Championship cricket lacks the instant appeal of Twenty20 but it is still the competition every professional in this country wants to win more than any other.