1 - 4 June Away to Notts

All over. Won 3, lost 3, 75 points. Currently 4th, equal on points to Warwickshire, and above Notts, now on 61 , and Worcestershire on 53. If Middlesex beat Warwicks - which they could do - they will soar into the lead in the First division. Worcester are probably favourites to beat Hampshire, which would give them 69 points.

From a Sussex point of view, we must pick a team that will beat Hampshire with maximum points. That will keep us in mid-table and should give us some spirit for the inevitable lifeless draw at Arundel. Let us hope for some good and accurate news from the sick-room, that Ed Joyce comes back to county cricket determined to reproduce his Irish form, and that somehow at least two of Nash, Wells, Yardy, Machan, Wright and Cachopa learn to make 20s into 50s, and build 100 run partnerships.

A few quick sums - 1st innings scores against Sussex in the 6 matches so far. 1st 6 wickets have produced 868 runs - the last 4 have produced 795. This really tells it's own story. We could quite easily be looking at 5 out of 6 wins without a few irritating late partnerships. Given the batting at the moment that would have been an amazing position to be in.

The problem is the Sussex batsman don't just lack application they don't even know what it is! They don't put a high enough price on their wicket. Perhaps the time has come to introduce performance related pay for the batsmen because after all if you don't score anything you don't deserve to be paid anything! At the moment the batsmen are a disgrace to themselves and the club. They don't seem to have any pride in their performance. To be beaten in two and a half days is unacceptable.

Someone once said on the old messageboard that I can piss for longer than Cottey can bat. Unfortunately that doesn't now only apply to one individual but to the whole team! It is an utter disgrace that we have only batted for 75 overs in the match and something needs to be done about it. Playing have been locked out of dressing rooms for less! They deserve to be deducted 25% of their match fee. Employing a full-time batting coach would be a start. We cannot continue as we are!

Looking at the Notts batting only four batsmen, really three because Wood did so in both innings, passed 26.

As for next match thankfully we have Joyce back.

What injury list? We're only missing Joyce and Shahzad from our first choice eleven because we will never see Prior again in a Sussex shirt. Hatchett, Zaidi and Anyon wouldn't have made the team anyway. Mills can't play four day cricket. Machan and Yardy returned for this game. There are no excuses for Robinson and Sussex. This is a disgraceful performance from the Sussex batsmen.

Nash on interview intimated that he'd by taking to the golf course to end his run of poor form. 'to hit a ball that wasn't moving'.....

My Mum was pretty good at sport, particularly tennis, and she always said golf and tennis were so different because in one the ball was moving and the other not, she found it hard to be good at both, so Mum's advice would be to get off the golf course Chris.

Hilarious, as Jon Filby would say.

The game was won and lost over two and a half days in which Sussex were second best in every department.

Notts scored 500 runs. Sussex  couldn't get 200 in either innings and pitifully lost 20 wickets in 75 overs.

I trust the notion that the game turned on a tiny sub-section of play of between two and five overs in which the bowlers failed to dimsiss a tail-ender whose  previous highes score was 26 is purely for public consumption,  and a much harsher and more realistic message is being delivered behind closed doors to the Sussex batsmen.

And what's going on with Hobden? Only bowled seven overs in each innings.  Was Nash scared of the wides/no balls/byes he might give away? No point in having a fourth seamer if he's not trusted to bowl.