Adams: Sussex can only get better

The county made the perfect start to their title defence at Hove on Saturday when they needed less than an hour to knock off their target of 56 to complete an eight-wicket win over Kent.

Considering their pre-season preparations were far from ideal, it was an impressive statement of intent by Sussex.

Jason Lewry and Mushtaq Ahmed did not bowl a ball in anger in the build-up and Rana Naved did not arrive until the day before the game.

Yet between them they took 18 of Kent's 20 wickets to make sure the advantage gained by Richard Montgomerie's magnificent 175 was not wasted.

It was only in the last hour on the third day, when Kent's last wicket pair put on 86 to avoid an innings defeat, that their less-than-perfect preparation began to tell on the Sussex attack.

Adams said: "We came into the game a bit undercooked. Jason had only had a few net sessions, Rana was late in getting here and Mushy was short of fitness although he once again proved what a fantastic talent he is with a ball in his hand.

"We rely on our best players staying fit to be successful so to lose Mike Yardy and Robin Martin-Jenkins as well was a blow but when you have as varied an attack as ours you always have a chance.

"There are little things we can improve which you would expect at this time of the season but we will get better.

"We let the game run away from us on the third evening but that was understandable. There is still a bit of moisture in the ground and that can be heavy on the legs.

"And it wasn't as easy as it might have looked. Kent are a solid side and, unlike a few of the pundits, I don't think they will struggle this season, especially when they get Andrew Hall back from the World Cup.

"If we can take more points off them when we play at Canterbury next week I will be delighted."

It was fitting that Montgomerie was there to guide Sussex home with an unbeaten 33 after Carl Hopkinson and Chris Nash fell cheaply, both leg before.

Adams added: "We more or less carried out our strategy perfectly which is to bowl the opposition out for less than 300 and score more than 350 ourselves and dictate from there.

"We took a few too many knocks for my liking but we came through with 22 points, although it might have been different if we had been asked to score 150 instead of 50.

"But points at this stage of the season are absolutely crucial when you are scrapping at the end of it so to come away with a relatively comfortable win is great."

Yardy is out for another month at least with his broken finger but Martin-Jenkins has recovered from flu and is expected to replace Luke Wright against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, starting on Wednesday.

Wright suffered a side strain during his brief bowling spell on Friday when his fourth over had to be completed by Jason Lewry.

SCORES: Kent 216 (Mushtaq Ahmed 6-74) & 349 (JDenly 63, Walker 59, Patel 52, Mushtaq Ahed 4-145, Naved 4-106), Sussex 510 (Montgomerie 175, Naved 75, Kirtley 51, Nash 50) & 57-2. Sussex (22pts) beat Kent (3pts) by 8 wkts.

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