Sussex will make a decision tomorrow about whether to bring in Johan van der Wath as their second overseas player.

The 26-year-old South African bowler is keen to come to Hove on a short-term contract until mid-June when Pakistan's Rana Naved ul-Hasan arrives.

But Director of Cricket Peter Moores said today that Sussex were still considering their options.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns was approached earlier in the week but turned them down and the county may still opt to make a short-term signing from one of the ranks of overseas players shortly to arrive in this country to play league cricket.

Moores said: "I am speaking to Johan again tomorrow and will make a decision then. He wants to come to us but we have to make sure he is the best person possible.

"There is still a bit of spadework to be done. We are looking at guys who are coming in to play in the leagues and keeping our options open."

Murray Goodwin was due back at Hove today and Mushtaq Ahmed arrives tomorrow, but only the Pakistani leg-spinner is likely to play in Sussex's final warm-up match against Loughborough UCCE at Hove, starting on Saturday (11am).

Moores added: "Mushy would like to play. He has been doing a lot of bowling back home at Leicestershire's players, who are on tour there, and depending on what time he gets here tomorrow I expect he will want a game.

"Murray prefers to have four or five nets a day to get used to English conditions again, but we will give him the option of playing."

There should be some major clues to the likely line-up for the Championship opener against Surrey next Wednesday in the side which faces the students.

Only Matt Prior, who plays for MCC in the annual curtain-raiser against champions Warwickshire at Lord's starting tomorrow, is definitely absent.

Yesterday's one-day friendly against Yorkshire was washed out, but Moores was happy enough with his side's work earlier this week when Sussex had the better of a two-day game against the Tykes.

He said:"We messed it up a bit when we batted on the first day, we were a bit too impatient when conditions were quite difficult. There were a few soft dismissals.

"But there was much better tempo to our second innings and it was good to see Richard Montgomerie, Tim Ambrose and Mike Yardy get some runs. All our bowlers looked in good rhythm though which was encouraging."

Moores has applied for the ECB Academy Director's post which becomes vacant in September when Rod Marsh steps down and I understand he was being interviewed for the job today.