Whoever the England and Wales Cricket Board has taken on in their marketing department has certainly been earning his or her keep.

The inaugural Twenty20 Cup was advertised and promoted to the hilt and with some success, judging by the crowd sizes and revenues that followed.

There followed the task of encouraging the same crowds to watch the one-day internationals involving England, Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Helped, without a doubt, by the healthy populations of South Africans and Pakistanis that are resident in this country, most of the games were sell outs.

Attention has now been turned to the Test matches, traditionally the format of the game that has been hardest to promote.

Tradition has been turned on its head, however, with the poster campaigns in which eight of England's best young players have been profiled, 'lad's mag style'.

The interviews have been designed to get across how trendy and likeable the England stars are. Hence, we get told about the hair gel they use and when they had their first kiss.

The kind of person who would usually go to watch a Test match will probably pour scorn on these methods of seduction but then they are not aimed at them. It is the young, and particularly the women, who need to be encouraged to attend if cricket is to thrive.

I have no doubt the Test series against South Africa will see sell out crowds and England's performances of late, along with the ECB's marketing, will no doubt have had much to do with it.

But people have, and probably will always, watch their national team. It is the marketing of county cricket that is even more vital.

We are lucky at Sussex to have a very dedicated and skilled marketing team. Ian Waring and Neil Lenham do sterling work, using their experience as ex-pros to know exactly what it takes to spice up the game. In the last ten years, Sussex have been the most progressive club in the country. They were the first to embrace permanent floodlights, for example.

I'm sure people would agree that our day-night games are a fun evening's entertainment.

There is a good blend of amusement, not too much to distract from the cricket, but enough to keep those with a short concentration span amused (and I'm not just talking about our physio, Stu Osborne).

I was fielding on the boundary during Tuesday night's game against Durham and was delighted to see plenty of children enjoying the festivities - face painting, bouncy castle and a gladiator- style game that I wanted to have a go at but I didn't think my captain would sanction it during such a crucial match!

Fran Watson, the media officer, also has a vital role to play. We are always being asked and encouraged by Fran to give interviews or to sign this and that, anything to get the name of Sussex cricket out into the public.

Hers is a job of under-rated importance. It is the players to whom all the attention is turned and, obviously, without them there would be no cricket club.

It is the marketing department, however, that helps to ensure there are people willing to come and watch and support the players, both with bums on seats and cheque books.

Thursday July 24