Skipper Chris Adams is confident Sussex can make a competitive' Championship defence, starting against Kent at Hove today (11am).

Their pre-season preparations have not been ideal because of injury and illness, notably the broken finger sustained by Mike Yardy which will keep him out for the next month.

But Adams believes Sussex can again challenge for honours and he will urge his side to make a positive start.

He said: "My last message to the boys before we start today is to go for it, play positive cricket and not leave anything behind.

"I'm confident we have everything in our side to be competitive this year but at the moment I'm not looking further forward than the next 12 sessions against Kent and playing good Championship cricket in the first game."

Yardy's absence means Chris Nash will bat at three and Adams recognises it will benefit the whole side if the top order can compensate for the absence of his vice-captain.

Adams said: "It solved what would have been a difficult selection issue for us.

"We need guys who are innings-builders in a similar way to Yards at the top of the order and I think we have that now."

Sussex have named a squad of 13 including Jason Lewry, even though he has yet to play any cricket this season after suffering from a virus.

Kent will give a debut to Yasir Arafat, who took 41 Championship wickets for Sussex as an overseas player last year.

Sussex (from): Montgomerie, Hopkinson, Nash, Goodwin, Adams, Prior, Martin-Jenkins, Wright, Rana Naved, Mushtaq Ahmed, Kirtley, Lewry, Hodd.

Kent (from): Key (capt), Denly, van Jaarsveld, Walker, Stevens, Jones (wk), Arafat, McLaren, Joseph, Cook, Saggers, Patel.