Sussex launch their Royal London One Day Cup today urged to embrace a new aggressive approach to 50-over cricket.

England bounced back from a depressing World Cup campaign to beat New Zealand in a thrilling series earlier this summer where scores in excess of 400 became the norm.

Sussex past 300 just once in eight group games last season – they made 323-3 from 48 overs in their final match against Glamorgan and still lost! – as they finished second from bottom in Group B.

Skipper Ed Joyce admits the goalposts have now changed in one-day cricket and that Sussex must show the same positive mindset that Luke Wright has instilled into the Twenty20 team.

Joyce said: “The boys have been playing exciting Twenty20 cricket which bodes well for the 50-over competition. It has been fresh and exciting with lots of energy and we want to transfer that to this competition too.

“Everyone is thinking in this new way about 50-over cricket now so it should make a good spectacle.Part of it depends on the wickets but if we get flat wickets teams are going to have to play that way.

“Any young English player coming up now with aspirations of playing for England is certainly going to have to play attacking cricket so that’ll be exciting to watch.

“We’ve certainly got the players who can play that way in Machan, Wright, Nash and George Bailey in there as well. Cachopa has been playing well in Twenty20 too so we’ve definitely got the firepower.”

Sussex will also be able to call on Alfonso Thomas as part of their bowling armoury after signing the veteran seamer on a month’s loan from Somerset yesterday.

Thomas, 38, is set to make his debut in the opening game of the RLODC against Lancashire at Horsham today (10.30am) with the Sharks still missing four frontline seamers due to injury.

Ajmal Shahzad, Jimmy Anyon, Chris Jordan and Lewis Hatchett all remain sidelined while Tymal Mills will be unable to play in both today’s game and the trip to Hampshire tomorrow as Sussex manage the left-arm paceman’s ongoing back injury.

Coach Mark Robinson said: “Alfonso may be 38 but he is still a very fit and tends to play in all formats for Somerset. They are obviously looking to go with a younger bowling in the 50-over competition so when we heard he was potentially available we jumped at the chance.

“We are very grateful the board have backed us by allowing us to sign Alfonso. His experience will be a really useful asset and he just gives us more options with the injuries we have and the situation with Tymal.

“There are a few games in the competition which come very close together and we have to be very careful with Tymal. He has only bowled a maximum of four overs a game for the last three months so we don’t want to take any risks.”

Sussex made a slow start to their RLODC campaign last season which saw them lose their opening two games and Joyce admits they cannot afford to be playing catch up again in such a tough group.

Joyce added: “We’re in a very, very tough group but the good thing about that is if you get through it puts you in a good place for the knockout stages. Lancashire are a good team but it is important we get off to a good start otherwise you are trying to drag it back.”