Jason Lewry is hoping to start bowling again next week after a month when doing even the simplest of everyday tasks left him worn out.

Sussex’s vetern left-armer, who celebrated his 38th birthday earlier this month, is suffering from glandular fever.

There is no cure except rest for the illness, which has also laid low Sussex’s team analyst Chris Pickett.

Lewry believes he may have contracted it when he spent a few days in Southampton General Hospital when one of his twin daughters was being treated.

He said: “She had an infection and I had to stay there and when I went back for pre-season in March I felt awful with flu-like symptoms.

“My neck was swollen and I had a blood test which revealed I had glandular fever. It was a big shock to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be positive.

“There is no cure. I was told to do nothing for four weeks. At the moment if I even sweep the floor or carry one of my kids upstairs I sit down again and fall asleep – it’s really weird.”

Lewry was well enough to attend Sussex’s pre-season photo call at Hove on Tuesday and says he is starting to feel much better.

“I’ve got another week of doing nothing but then hopefully I can start to pick things up again,” he said.

“You hear horror stories about people being laid low by this for four or five months but hopefully it won’t be that bad and I will be playing again in four or five weeks.

“I feel better this week but I still have good and bad days. I’m not on my death bed or anything but it just makes you feel really tired which is no good if you want to play cricket.”

Lewry signed a new one-year contract last October. It meant a cut in income as he will only play in Championship cricket and the joke at this week’s press day was photographing Lewry in Sussex’s various one-day shirts was the ultimate exercise in futility.

But he remains a key component of the four-day attack and was Sussex’s leading wicket-taker last season with 41 Championship victims which included the 600th first-class wicket of a career which began in 1994.

He would have been a certain selection for Tuesday’s Championship opener against Lancashire but even the home game against champions Durham on May 6 looks beyond him at this stage.

There is no four-day cricket for a month after that game so his 16th season with the county is not likely to start until early June.

He added: “I do need to bowl a few overs , not stacks , but it’s more of a mental thing for me.

“Hopefully I can bowl in the nets next week and take it from there.

“As long as I’m in the right frame of mind hopefully I can play a few games for the seconds and make myself available for selection.”

Coach Mark Robinson does not believe it will take Lewry long to get going again once he is fully fit.

He said: “Jason is one of those blessed cricketers who might not have bowled for a while but can then produce some magic.

“Once he gets a few miles into his legs and bowls a few overs it won’t take him long to get back into the groove.”

The make-up of Sussex’s seam attack to face Lancashire has been helped by Corey Collymore’s visa arriving on time.

Damien Wright is certain to make his debut for his third different county. The 32-year-old Australian arrived on Wednesday and will meet his new team-mates at Hove tomorrow before the squad travel to Bristol for their Friends Provident Trophy opener against Gloucestershire.