The Sussex players are rallying around Murray Goodwin as he contends with the worst run of form during his four years at Hove.

The 31-year-old has made just 92 Championship runs in eight innings so far and after a solid start in one-day cricket, Goodwin endured two ducks in three days over the Bank Holiday weekend against Lancashire and Nottinghamshire.

Those stats represent unusually lean pickings for a player who boasted a first-class average of 47.47 at the start of the season and an average for the county of 54.05, including 13 hundreds.

What makes Goodwin's poor run even more surprising is that he returned to Hove in April after a prolific winter for Western Australia in the Pura Cup, their equivalent of the County Championship, where his aggregate of 1,183 runs was only 71 short of Graham Yallop's record which has stood since 1983.

The conspiracy theorists at Hove are having a field day. Some believe Goodwin has lost interest because of the delay in re-engaging him in the winter while the county made overtures to South African Gary Kirsten.

But anyone who knows him will scoff at such suggestions. No one in the dressing room, whether they were born within the county, or as Goodwin was on another continent, loves playing for Sussex more. However, if he was not one of their overseas players then it is fair to say his place would be under more threat than it is at the moment.

Skipper Chris Adams knows all about the vagaries of form, of course.

He endured a wretched trot at the start of last season when nine Championship innings brought just one score over 26. But Adams came good and finished the season with four hundreds, two of them made in the crucial victory over Lancashire, which helped propel Sussex to their first Championship.

"I know what Murray's going through, it happened to me last season and it isn't easy because as captain or overseas pro you are expected to score runs," said Adams. "Everyone has a dip in form, but Murray's talent will stand the test of time and his quality will come through and when it does people will wonder what all the fuss was about.

"Because Ian Ward and myself are in good nick at present it's not hindering the side too much. But at some stage, when we need them, guys like Murray and Tim Ambrose will make runs. That's what makes good teams."

Director of cricket Peter Moores knows Goodwin's game better than anyone and has not noticed anything technically which needs attention.

"I think all Murray needs to do is relax and he will get a big score soon enough," said Moores.

"I don't think people realise how passionate Murray is about playing for Sussex. Sometimes that means you put yourself under extra pressure.

"But Murray has got runs for us in one-day cricket in the last fortnight so there isn't much wrong with his game. You can't average what he does for Sussex and continue not to perform."

Adams was grateful for the support shown by his team-mates during his bad trot a year ago and is pleased the dressing room is rallying round.

"The players still believe in Murray big-time," he added. "They were the same with me a year ago, they kept encouraging me and the same is happening now with Murray. He's a quality player and he will come good."

After playing for 11 out of the previous 13 days, Adams and his players were grateful for the chance of a mini-break this week to recharge the batteries ahead of next Wednesday's trip to Championship favourites Lancashire. They may go to Old Trafford at the bottom of the first division depending on results in this week's round of matches, hardly the position the champions expected to find themselves six games into the season.

Their last win of any sort was nearly a month ago, but Adams says there has not been the need yet for 'an Edgbaston', an oblique reference to the dressing room inquest that followed last year's defeat against Warwickshire and which was seen as the turning point.

"It's not time to panic yet," said Adams. "We're playing good cricket in the Championship but so far we haven't been playing winning cricket. At the moment we are struggling to bowl sides out twice. Once we start running through teams in their first innings then Mushtaq Ahmed will become more potent and it will happen.

"I remember a year ago Kent being in a similar position. They were rock- bottom after we beat them at Tunbridge Wells, but they turned it around and got on a roll. The team spirit here is still excellent and everyone has the same goals."

Nothing will concentrate the mind more than a match against Lancashire. It would not surprise Adams if his team turned the tables next week.

Or that Goodwin, who carried his bat there last season despite needing seven stitches after he was clocked by a bouncer, comes good.