The Sussex bowlers charged with slicing open Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Twenty20 finals day tomorrow believe the Sharks head to Edgbaston in the best possible form.

Yasir Arafat took a hat-trick and James Kirtley three wickets with the new ball at Horsham on Sunday as Sussex demolished Gloucestershire to maintain their unbeaten record in defence of the Pro40 League title.

Picturesque Horsham on a Sunday afternoon is as far removed from a vibrant full house at Edgbaston on finals day as it is possible to get.

But as far as Sussex’s new ball pair are concerned the principles are the same whether it is 40 overs or 20.

And after the season they have had in one-day cricket, both fancy their chances of helping Sussex earn a share of the $6m jackpot on offer in the Champions League in October for the two finalists.

Between them, Arafat and Kirtley have taken 24 wickets in this season’s Twenty20 and while much has been made of the impact Mike Yardy and his assortment of spin bowlers have had on their progress, wickets with the new ball are still crucial.

In that regard Sussex have done pretty well. In the 11 games so far the opposition have only posted three opening stands of 27 or more while Yardy has mixed things up successfully, often bowling Kirtley for a single over at the start of an innings after Arafat has taken the new ball.

Kirtley said: “We have always bowled well together in one-day cricket.

“Yasir has the ability to hold length and when it comes to bowling slower balls and yorkers we have similar skills and it seems to be a very good partnership.

“Yasir has the ability to move the ball laterally and he has an extra yard of pace which perhaps I don’t have anymore.

“We’re going there feeling pretty good about our one-day cricket. I can’t remember when we last won a one-day game as convincingly as last Sunday. It was fantastic that we have kept the momentum going throughout the season in all three competitions.”

Both bowlers normally share the last four overs of the innings as well, when those hours perfecting his slower balls and yorkers more often than not pay off for the Pakistan international.

Arafat said: “I practise bowling slower balls and yorkers virtually every day and that helps a lot. When I got my hat-trick on Sunday the ball was reversing which helped, although that might not be the case tomorrow.

“But for me and the team it was still a good warm-up for Twenty20. If we play like we did on Sunday we will be a hard side to stop. Let’s hope we can produce that type of performance again.”

No player in the country has more experience of domestic cricket’s showpiece day than the 27-year-old who is appearing at finals day for the third time.

He was part of the Kent side which beat Sussex in the semi-final on their way to victory at Edgbaston in 2007, although his three wicket-less overs cost 32 runs, and played when they lost last year’s final to Ed Joyce’s Middlesex, taking 2-20.

He said: “This is my third finals and I really enjoyed the previous two, even though we lost last year. Kent will be strong again and it would be nice to play them in the final but we have to beat Northants first.”

While Arafat probably has a few more days in the sun to look forward to this might turn out to be Kirtley’s last experience of the big occasion. He is out of contract at the end of the season and although his consistent performances in one-day cricket this season should ensure that he will be re-signed in 2010 there are no guarantees at 34 that he will tread the big stage again.

Kirtley said : “We’re really looking forward to it. It was a great experience in 2007 and although you still can’t beat a Lord’s one-day final these are still big occasions with a massive incentive this year to go to India for the Champions League if we reach the final.”

No one would be more pleased for Kirtley were that to be the case than his coach Mark Robinson.

He said: “James’ professionalism and desire are a fantastic example to our younger players. He was gutted he wasn’t picked for the Championship game against Notts last week but he took it on the chin and prepared himself magnificently for the Pro40 game on Sunday when he ran in as if he was 28 years old again.”

Kirtley will be celebrating like an 18-year-old on Broad Street tomorrow night if Sussex land that pot of gold in Birmingham.