We are a third of the way through the Championship campaign and no one can accuse us of playing negative cricket.

Last weekend's win over Kent was our third of the season, which is as many as we managed in the whole of 2002, and we've also lost three games.

If you said to me now that we could maintain that form I'd take it because by the end of the season we'd have eight wins which, by my reckoning, would put us second, above Lancashire but behind Surrey.

It would also be our best finish in the Championship since John Barclay's team were pipped by Nottinghamshire back in 1981, so there is every incentive for us to try and improve our current form.

I can't remember a more competitive Championship than this season's and I've no doubt that the introduction of a second overseas player has raised the standard to a level I've never experienced in my years in the game.

On a personal level, I think about 60 per cent of my dismissals have been to overseas players this season with the two against Surrey, when I was caught off Azhar Mahmood and then bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq, springing to mind.

There's no doubt either that as soon as the opposition's overseas players come into bat or on to bowl it raises the stakes as far as our lads are concerned.

I know that Mushtaq Ahmed took particular delight in getting Andrew Symonds out twice at Tunbridge Wells last week.

The pair have had a couple of battles before, going back to the days when Mushy played for Somerset and Symonds for Gloucestershire. He was also telling us about a hundred Symonds got for Queensland when Pakistan were touring Australia.

Last week, Symonds had just begun to open his shoulders in the first innings when Mushy tempted him to hole out to long off and in the second innings he got him for one, padding up to a googly which he definitely didn't pick.

No overseas player has made as big an impact so far this season as Mushy who is now leading wicket-taker with 41.

And I'd go as far to say that he is probably the best overseas signing made by Sussex since Imran Khan.

There have been some good ones since Imran's days of course and, certainly during my time as captain, we seem to have been very fortunate with our choice of overseas player.

I pride myself as captain on making sure the envrionment is right for our overseas players to flourish and it seems to have worked. Michael Bevan was a consistent run-scorer and match-winner, Michael Di Venuto did a great job as Bev's locum for a season and Murray Goodwin, of whom more later, has more than proved his worth in his two-and-a-bit years with us.

But I'd definitely put Mushy alongside Imran in terms of his ability and the impact he has made on the side.

He's formed a great spearhead with James Kirtley and, at this rate, I can see him getting 100 Championship wickets which would be a phenomenal achievement.

Having already faced him earlier in the season, I was surprised Kent hadn't come up with a plan to counter him last week. Once again Mushy raised his game against the big players, such as Symonds, and he knows that he doesn't have to be 100 per cent to work his way through most tail-enders.

The only player so far who has played him with relative comfort was Graham Thorpe at the Oval a couple of weeks ago. I shouldn't have been surprised though as Thorpey is the best player of spin in the country.

Nasser Hussain has also established a reputation as a good player of spin so it will be fascinating to see how he handles Mushy when we play Essex at Arundel next month. I'm sure Mushy will have one or two tricks up his sleeve especially for the England captain!

We're also fortunate that Mushy, unlike some overseas players, is available to us all season although I still can't fathom out why Pakistan seem to have discarded him.

As for next season, who knows? A lot can happen in 12 months. He might get back into the international fold, we might not even be able to have two overseas players.

But as it stands I'd love to have him back. He's been a pleasure to captain and the other lads have really taken to him and long may he continue to take lots of wickets for Sussex.

Saturday June 14