England’s gain is Sussex’s loss. While Matt Prior breathed new life into the national team’s wicketkeeping position with an excellent hundred on his Test debut at Lord’s, without his strokeplay at the top of the innings his county have been struggling in their endeavours to retain the trophy in the 50-over domestic competition.

Mark Robinson, the Sussex coach, was bemoaning Prior’s absence before last night’s match against Surrey, one that the home side needed to win to keep alive their outside chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, and he seemed right to do so, but Murray Goodwin, with a thrilling innings of 86, showed him that the middle order has its part to play, even if his efforts proved fruitless.

Andrew Hodd, Prior’s understudy, was the latest of several players to be moved up the order, but his technique was too correct for the bludgeoning that was required after Surrey, thanks in the main to Mark Ramprakash, had set the home side a challenging total.

Hodd and Richard Montgomerie floundered about like England openers in a World Cup power play and they had slipped well behind the run-rate by the time Montgomerie drove Azhar Mahmood to Rikki Clarke at cover. When Hodd perished, mistiming a drive to mid-off, and Chris Adams, the captain, fell to a stunning one-handed catch at backward point by James Benning, it looked as if Sussex had left themselves with too much to do. But then came Goodwin.

One of those players who gets to the 20s and 30s seemingly unnoticed, he then unleashed a series of searing drives that threatened to take Sussex to their target. He had hit seven fours when he lofted Azhar to long-on.

Chris Schofield, England’s forgotten leg spinner, dismissed Carl Hopkinson, Robin Martin-Jenkins, Luke Wright and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as the Sussex lower order took risks, finishing with four for 32.

Surrey’s total had been built on Ramprakash’s 142 not out, which contained ten fours and six sixes off 140 balls.

— Adam Hollioake, the former Surrey captain, has been offered the chance to return to county cricket with Essex in the Twenty20 Cup that starts next month. The 35-year-old is expected to hold talks with Essex next week.