HOVE has suddenly become the venue of choice for players from midland counties anxious for a fresh start.

A week after Monty Panesar quit Northamptonshire to sign a three-year deal, Sussex have made an important addition to their seam bowling options by bringing in James Anyon from Warwickshire.

The 26-year-old was coveted several counties after the Bears said he could leave with a year left on his current deal.

Anyon said: “If nothing had come up which attracted me I would happily have stayed at Warwickshire and fought for my place.

“But when Sussex came in I jumped at the chance. I wasn’t desperate to leave Warwickshire but this seems to me to be the ideal county to get my career back on track.”

Coach Mark Robinson has long been an admirer of Lancaster-born Anyon, who made his Warwickshire debut in 2005 after three years at Loughborough UCCE, and when you look at his record against the county it is no surprise.

He has taken 22 of his 112 first-class wickets against Sussex including two six-wicket match hauls in his debut season and again in 2007, both at Edgbaston.