Mark Robinson comes up against his predecessor Peter Moores at Lord's tomorrow when Sussex face MCC in a high-profile start to the new season.

But getting one over his friend and fellow coach will be the least of Robinson's concerns as Sussex finish off preparations for their Championship defence.

Robinson is more concerned with monitoring the form of his players and in particular those pressing for a place in the side to face Kent at Hove next Wednesday.

With skipper Chris Adams, Richard Montgomerie, Rana Naved and Jason Lewry all missing against a quality MCC side, there is an opportunity for others to impress.

None more so than Chris Nash, who will open the batting with Carl Hopkinson, and Chris Liddle who is expected to replace fellow left-armer Lewry.

Nash, 23, batted in the middle order in his three Championship appearances last season, but having opened for much of his second-team career he regards it as his strongest position.

Robinson said: "Nashy has earned his opportunity. He has been the outstanding batsman in the second team for the last two seasons.

"When he played in the first team at the end of last season against Hampshire and Kent he came in at important times in both games and calmed a lot of nerves.

"He's a good player in a good squad. He will upset the applecart in terms of selection because he is ready now to be a regular first-team player.

He's technically good and he sees his best way in as an opener which he has done a lot in the second team and again in our pre-season games."

Liddle, who joined the county from Leicestershire at the end of last season, will be playing at Lord's for the first time if he is selected.

Robinson added: "Chris has a good chance of playing and if he does he will have deserved his chance.

"He doesn't move the ball back in to the batsmen in the same way as JL but he does enough and he has impressed me in the friendlies we have played.

"He's young and he'll make mistakes but if he plays it will be another good opportunity to have a look at him."

Sussex will arguably face stronger opposition over the next four days than during the Championship campaign itself.

The MCC attack will be spearheaded by contracted players Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison and captained by another member of England's Ashes squad Alistair Cook.

Yorkshire's promising leg spinner Adil Rashid and Tim Bresnan, who made his one-day international debut last summer, and Owais Shah are also included.

Moores said: "It will be competitive and will be a great oppportunity for myself and Robbo to look at players in a good environment.

"Everyone's enthusiasm is always high at this time of the season and of course it's being played at Lord's which the players will love.

"For us it's the chance to bring a lot of players who are in or around the England set-up, whether it be contracted players or guys who went on the A tour to Bangladesh, together against quality opposition.

"It will be competitive, but it will be hard and fair which is how everyone wants it."

Moores was criticised last season when England A batted for the best part of two days against Pakistan at Canterbury. And the last thing Robinson wants with only a day to prepare before the Championship opener is a similar scenario, but Moores has promised there will be no repeat. Robinson said: "I'll tell you whether the game is a good thing or not next week.

"We don't really want our bowlers to be over-worked, for MCC to bat for two days. You want your batsmen to get time in the middle and draw confidence from facing a quality attack and for your bowlers to hit their straps and come out of it unscathed."

Sussex (possible): Nash, Hopkinson, Yardy (capt), Goodwin, Prior (wk), Martin-Jenkins, Wright, Rayner, Mushtaq Ahmed, Kirtley, Liddle.

England A (from): Cook, Jefferson, Shah, Compton, Gidman, Davies, Bresnan, Hoggard, Adil Rashid, Harmison, Onions, Zoheb Sharif.