Alan Sweetman-Hicks has never scored a point in professional basketball.

His experience as a head coach does not extend beyond helping Worthing Mad Dogs in the local league.

The 5ft 11in, 32-year-old father-of-one certainly doesn't soar above the rim too often.

But, when Worthing Thunder mulled over their latest defeat in a major final, head coach Gary Smith went out of his way to underline the role played by his unsung sidekick with the clipboard.

Sweetman-Hicks missed Thunder's National Trophy final in Newcastle, in which his team lost 91-85 to Reading, due to illness.

Some fans might not have even noticed he was absent. But Smith reckons Thunder missed his off-court influence more than anyone from outside the camp would realise.

Sweetman-Hicks, an accountant by trade and cricket scorer in the summer, first got involved in top-flight basketball by answering an advert in a Worthing Bears programme when they needed an assistant statsman. He followed Worthing and Brighton Bears around the country in that role before transferring to his local club Thunder and eventually becoming assistant coach alongside Chris Mayes.

He still takes stats but they tend to be tailored to the coach's needs.

Smith revealed he could have done with those figures at the Trophy final, notably when his team were being outscored 17-5 in a pivotal third quarter.

He said: "People don't realise Alan does the running stats while the game is going on.

"He will have a look on his board and can see when scores are being made, where we're missing, where the opposition are scoring from. I'm just saying how important it is for this basketball team to have Alan around.

"I think people forget that. He's an extra pair of eyes. I need both him and Chris."

Sweetman-Hicks would have been particularly valuable at half-time in the final when debate raged about the Reading points total.

The scoreboard said they led 52-49 but Worthing felt they had only scored 50.

They believed two points had been added when Reading missed, possibly because the statistician's view at courtside was blocked by a player or referee when a shot went up.

There was some hurried scrutiny of the play-by-play and stats sheet before official figures for the first half were released to teams and the media.

It is possible delays between baskets being made and the scoreboard being updated, sometimes up to five seconds, might have added to confusion.

Thunder did not make a huge fuss about the possible discrepancy, though those extra points became significant when they reduced arrears from 18 points to two in the closing stages.

Smith, whose men kick-off their play-off campaign at home to Solent tomorrow, said: "Something like that, he would have been able to pinpoint straight away and question it."

Sweetman-Hicks, a qualified table official, reckoned he would have spotted any error.

He earned his side two points in this year's National Cup final when he realised Manchester Magic sent the wrong player forward to shoot a pair of free throws.

It is surely alarming teams should have to check the score is correct at showpiece finals but Sweetman-Hicks said: "I'm like a lawyer on the bench.

"Part of the job is keeping an eye on the table officials or if the refs have got something wrong.

"Otherwise I keep stats the coaches need. Gary might ask me How many shots has Janis Ivanovskis taken in this quarter? ' and I can tell him."