We're in a great position now

Regardless of the results of the other First Division matches which finish today, we will go into the game against Essex on Wednesday in the top three which is a state of affairs we would happily have settled for at the start of the season as we approach the halfway stage of the summer.

After beating Warwickshire last week people have started talking about us as a genuine threat to the domination of the Championship Surrey have enjoyed over the past five years.

It's nice to hear and I must admit that confidence in the camp at the moment is sky-high after we picked up our fourth win in such emphatic style against Warwickshire at the weekend.

They have had a psychological hold on us for too long so to not just beat them but absolutely annihilate them was a special feeling.

Everything went to plan. We won the toss and, thanks mainly to Tony Cottey and then Matt Prior, we were able to post a score which brought Mushtaq into play.

If I'm brutally honest, we would have taken a draw against Warwickshire and then would have hoped to beat Essex.

Now, with maximum points from our first objective achieved, we could start to put pressure on Surrey if we perform brilliantly at Arundel.

Actually overtaking Surrey and staying there is a much bigger ask though. At the moment I would say they are still clear favourites.

If they get an injury or someone is out of form then they are usually able to bring in a player with international experience. The depth of our squad is not so strong.

But if we continue to play as we are and Mushtaq continues to perform as he has then there's no reason why we can't at least finish second which would still be our best performance since 1981.

There is still a long way to go. We've only played seven matches, but the great thing is that by already winning four of them we have almost certainly ensured our survival in Division One for next season which was always our first objective.

We've put a lot of distance between ourselves and the counties at the bottom and, believe me, when you're scrapping for every point and every game is so physically and mentally demanding as it was last year, that makes a very nice change.

Confidence is sky-high and the boys are playing with real freedom at the moment. What I mean by that is that they are performing without fear and I think that reflects in their performances.

To be able to leave someone like Kevin Innes out, as we did against Warwickshire, and still have someone come in at No. 7 and get a hundred, is an awesome position to be in.

But I think our current situation is the fruition of a lot of hard work which Peter Moores and myself have put in almost since the day I came to the club.

We're continuously raising the bar as far as performance and expectation is concerned and the players are responding. Long may it continue.

The good news continued on Tuesday when Matt Prior was selected in the provisional squad for the National Academy.

This year it moves from Adelaide to Loughborough where I hear the new facility which the ECB are building is out of this world in terms of what it has to offer.

Matt was disappointed to be left out last year, but he's a better, more mature cricketer 12 months on and I'm backing him to make the most of his chance to impress Rod Marsh and the England management.

The few days off we have had since the Warwickshire game have given us a welcome opportunity to re-charge our batteries as we prepare for the second half of the season.

Looking at the calendar, there aren't going to be too many breaks between now and September and if we are to maintain our Championship form or even improve on it, we need everyone fit and as fresh as possible.

It certainly helps, as I think I've said before in this column, that I can keep rotating our seam bowlers because of Mushtaq and Mark Davis's ability to bowl long spells.

We saw that again on Sunday when Jason Lewry came charging in after tea to take an important wicket just when it looked as though Warwickshire were going to keep us waiting.

Jason's been in great form recently, not least in one-day cricket which is what we turn our attention to before Arundel.

We're off to Taunton today to prepare for tomorrow's important National League game. Despite our poor form in the competition we go in good heart having performed well in the Twenty20. I'm still confident we can climb the table quickly and hopefully starting tomorrow.

Sussex beneficiaries usually combine Arundel week with a visit to Clive Roberts' superb restuarant in Storrington and I'm no different.

My Old Forge Dinner, the latest event in my benefit calender, takes place next Thursday, July 10, and Graham Gooch will be the special guest.

Ticket prices are £50 a head which includes a four-course dinner and selected offerings from Clive's well-stocked cellar.

July 19 is my Summer Ball at Christ's Hospital School.

Coaches depart from the County Ground at 6pm, returning at 1am. Tickets are £75 which includes champagne reception, dinner, wine and dancing to the legendary Soul Messengers.

If you would like to join me please contact my benefit secretary Rachel Carpenter on 01273 277354.

Mushtaq Ahmed is man of the moment right now and deservedly so.

To take 52 wickets in his first seven games is a feat I doubt Mushy even thought he was capable of when he joined us.

But I don't think the performance of our other spinner, Mark Davis, in our win over Warwickshire at the weekend should go un-noticed.

During my time at the club I don't think anyone has made as big a contribution to Sussex as Davo.

He has added a steely determination and real professionalism to the side which, when he joined us in 2001, was desperately needed.

He played a massive role in the win over Warwickshire.

Tony Cottey and Mushtaq took most of the plaudits and rightly so, but Mark did exactly what he was brought into the side to do which was hold up one end and take important wickets.

Mark doesn't spin the ball as much as Mushy - there are probably only a handful of bowlers in world cricket who do - but he varies his flight so well that he always keeps batsmen guessing.

The ball which bowled Tony Frost through the gate was an absolute beauty and it was no wonder Mark was halfway back to the pavilion in celebration as his team-mates tried to catch up!

Our two spinners have only bowled together in two Championship games so far, but it is significant that we have won both of them. They have also done well as a partnership in limited overs cricket.

And if the weather keeps fine and pitches stay dry who is to say what sort of impact they will have had by the end of the season?

As far as Mushy is concerned, I find it completely unbelievable that he isn't in the Pakistan side at the moment.

They have obviously decided to go with younger players which is fair enough, but surely Mushtaq could pass on his experience to the next generation as well as providing a potent threat with the ball?

In any other country he would still be first choice. Imagine how many games he might have helped win for us had he been English?

The possibility that he might still return to international cricket is one of the considerations we have to bear in mind when we try and make sure he stays at Sussex beyond the end of the season, but all the signs are that he will.