Home v Worcestershire 19 - 22 April

More than a bit odd, fraudster. For example, if you're a gardener you wouldn't expect to be daily watering your crops in April: that's the month of showers, if you recall, yet this year everyone who grows potatoes will tell you that they have been watering about a month earlier than they've ever done before. I think that was the point of Grounders comments, that "normal" standards haven't quite worked out that way. In your normal parlance, that's the way it goes. Next week may see torrential rain and every pitch then will be slippery on top with a bone-hard subsoil. That's one of the vagaries of the game, that we can't control the weather, however much the ECB may prescribe in section and sub-section how the wicket should be prepared.

The ideal wicket should do as you say, take turn at the end, not favour seamers too much from the start, and give batsmen a reasonable chance. I think this wicket hasn't been very far adrift from that standard - 1071 runs for 30 wickets in 3 days suggests everyone got a fair crack.  I missed out watching today but having seen the first two I'd be very surprised if it is the spinners paradise that borderman suggested. I think that the result will be a lot more closely contested and will offer him a bottle of his favourite tipple (note: proprietary blends only, no obscure vintage single malts) if his depressing prognosis is confirmed!

Thanks, HH.  Although, I'm not sure about 'newcomer' - I've been visiting the Hove ground on and off since 1980 !  My £6 reciprocal ticket stated 'public areas only' so I didn't attempt a nose around the pavilion. Not very punk rock of me - I suspect I was just way too chilled out to want to push it.  But I'll be back again before long.

Am I right that I've seen more Sussex Championship wins than Borderman this year, ha ha ?

Am I right that I've seen more Sussex Championship wins than Borderman this year, ha ha ?

If that is true, it is very naughty  and mean-spirited of Sussex, because I am reliably told Kent is offering full pavilion facilities to Sussex members buying a £6 reciprocal ticket at Canterbury.

Now that the dust has settled on our victory, it is time to claim my part in what seemed an unlikely victory on Tuesday evening. I had the pleasure of dining at the Moonstone Sri Lankan restaurant in Hove on Tuesday evening. Mr Senanayake is a friend of the owner and seemed to be responsible for taking the Worcestershire team along. I got to speak with the Worcestershire players and told them how well they had played and contested the match. I also suggested that it must be nice for them to have a beer or two as the game was as good as won. Mr Gidman seemed to dispute this, but I could see some of the others enjoying the compliments that were pouring out of my mouth. The team left just after 9.30 - I suggested that they take in a few Brighton clubs until the small hours to celebrate a certain victory - I will never know whether they did. Mr Senanayake stayed on at the restaurant and, besides being a very nice and interesting man, I had the opportunity to tell how much I admired his 30-odd in the first innings and his impressive second innings' bowling. Then, I said that he had batted so well that I would love to see him bat again on the fourth day. He looked at me and said that he hoped not to be batting.

I had sown the seed of doubt.