Amjad feeling good for Sussex (From The Argus)

Amjad feeling good for Sussex

9:00am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Cricket News By Howard Griggs

Amjad Khan is feeling good about the season ahead already.

The new campaign might not get going for real until April but the Sussex bowler insists preparations are going nicely.

He believes there is plenty to be positive about despite Sussex losing their second game of the Caribbean Twenty20 Tournament when they went down by 50 runs to Jamaica on Thursday.

The county, who won their opening game of the ten-team tournament when they beat Netherlands on Tuesday, hope to get back on track when they face Combined Campuses and Colleges in the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua, later today.

The group phase of the competition is completed with a match against Barbados in Bridgetown on Wednesday.

While this stage of the season is all about getting ready for the main event, Sussex are desperate to make an impression in the Caribbean by reaching the knockout phase of the tournament.

Skipper Michael Yardy said as much before he left England, stating he was going there to win with a predominantly young squad missing stars Matt Prior, Murray Goodwin, Monty Panesar, Luke Wright and Ed Joyce.

At 31 and having played Test cricket for England, Khan is one of the more experienced players in the travelling party.

The Denmark-born bowler is pleased with the progress Sussex are making so far and hopes to improve on it by fulfilling Yardy’s wish.

Khan said: “Even before we came out here our main goal was to win it. We will work hard to achieve that and we will be gutted if we don’t progress.

“As a team and individuals we know where we should be. In January we are probably a bit ahead of where we should be but as a team we know we are not at our best quite yet.

“Even though we did well against the Dutch we got a little exposed on Thursday.

“We have been on the training pitch, trying to put some things right we did wrong.

“Thursday was a wake-up call. You can hit as many balls as you want indoors and bowl as many balls as you want but if you have someone coming to you with intent outdoors you will get exposed.”

Against Jamaica, Sussex were dismissed for 102 chasing a tough 152-5. Opener Nkruma Bonner provided the backbone of his side’s innings with an unbeaten 66 off 57 balls, hitting seven fours and a six, while West Indies internationals Carlton Baugh (20 off 17) and Andre Russell (24 off 11) provided some late momentum.

Leg-spinner Will Beer finished with miserly figures of 1-13 off his four overs, while Yardy took 1-24 from his allocation.

In reply, Sussex made a decent start as they recovered from the early loss of Matt Machan, run out for a duck, reaching 49-1.

However, it was largely all downhill after opener Chris Nash was bowled by Odean Brown for 26 as Sussex quickly slipped to 73-9.

Khan and Chris Liddle delayed the inevitable with a last-wicket stand of 29 but it was all over when Liddle – who was one of only three batsman to reach double figures – was dismissed for 16.

While Khan got some time at the crease, his main role is with the ball. He is happy with how things have gone and grateful for the opportunity the Sussex squad have been given.

He said: “Considering it is January, I am bowling quite quickly already and it is a good sign for the season.

“We are incredibly lucky to be on this trip and all credit to the club. We are loving every minute of it and hopefully we will get back to England a bit stronger. Not one of us is taking it for granted.”