Chris Adams today revealed his intention to complete ten years as Sussex captain.

Adams responded to speculation in the national media that this might be his last season in charge by declaring: "I'm going nowhere."

The 35-year-old hopes to continue playing for five more years to achieve his ambition of scoring 50 hundreds and 100 half-centuries in his first-class career.

He said: "Some of the stuff I've read in the last couple of days has been fantasy.

"I thought six years as captain would be long enough but here I am in my ninth season and I'm still enjoying it as much as ever.

"I've got another year left on my contract and at some time between now and the end of the season I would like to sit down with the club and talk about extending it.

"If the club want me to do another year as captain and I feel I retain the respect of the other guys then that would be fine.

"It could be time for a change after ten years. It might be someone else's turn then. It would be nice after that to have two or three years without the responsibility of captaincy.

"Fitness-wise I'm feeling pretty good and I think my form this season has been solid so hopefully I will be here for a while yet."

Adams' immediate aim is to engineer a win over leaders Lancashire to keep Sussex's Championship challenge alive and he will have been pleased with their first-day progress in front of the biggest Hove crowd for Championship cricket since they won the title in 2003.

They were queueing down Eaton Road long before play starts but those occasional spectators in an attendance of 2,500 hoping to witness a feast of attacking cricket probably went home disappointed.

Another slow Hove pitch made survival fairly easy but proved inhibitive when batsmen tried to attack.

Adams did his side a big favour by winning the toss and an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 121 between Matt Prior and Robin Martin-Jenkins, who both made half-centuries, took Sussex to 282-5 at the close and made it their day.