CC v Derbyshire away 8-11 May

Agree with that, joe.

I hope Briggs has a big part to play later in the campaign and i can imagine hin having to bowl for hours and hours at Arundel next month. But as I predicted, he's not an effective red ball bowler early season. On April 16, I predicted that if Sussex insist on playing him, after four  CC matches he'd have half a dozen wkts at 70 runs apiece. Well  after three of those four matches, he has three wkts at 102 runs apiece, so way to go!

Wells is proving more effective because he gives it a real  tweak; the three days of Sussex cricket I've seen so far this season, I'm not sure I've seen Briggs turn a single ball. However nice his flight and dip  might be, it ain't going to get good batsmen out. He has a strike rate of one wicket every 24 overs, which again was all too predictable.

Plus we can't continue to play five bowlers, even if three of them are described as "improving all-rounders".  WHatver that means, they sure as hell aren't genuine all-rounders yet.

 Ben Brown is desperately struggling at six and has to revert to batting at seven, at least until he finds some form.Plus Finch has done everything he can and deserves a chance.

All this assuming Wright is not fit to return, which I'm pretty sure he won't be...from the above, are you suggsting that there is an injury concern about Shahzad? He certainly didn't seem a happy bunny in the last match.

I agree with both of your reasoning - which must be something of a first!

Re Shahzad it may be nothing more than that he is a moody so-and-so, which has been observed before. When riled up that can be an asset, otherwise I imaginbe he's a pain to his captain and coaches.

"Luke Wright and Chris Jordan will still be missing at Derby this week. Davis won’t put a date for Wright’s return after wrist and back problems but he could be back at the end of the month when Sussex face Derbyshire in the return game at Hove, starting on May 28."

from Bruce Talbot in the Mid Sussex Times www.midsussextimes.co.uk/sport/cricket/county-championship-determination-can-drive-sussex-to-victories-1-7367039?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed  At least there is a touch of realism now in that "could be back..." even if it also rasies concern for the June white-ball games.

I've given up on this season now, I can't see us being competitive in any of the three competitions

A season that promised so much, but as most of us feared, will deliver, well, not very much at all

Beer playing for Horsham tomorrow so won't be on the coach to Derby.

Grizzlys piece in the Argus today is bemoaning the fact that Beer isn't picked for CC games, it could have been written by our own fraudster!

And fraudster is renowned for, shall we say,  mistrust of anything outside Sussex, so a job beyond the county boundaries let alone over the Irish Sea would be anathema.....