Sussex's Tim Ambrose has been reassured by both his captain and coach: "Your time will come."

The talented 22-year-old finds himself in the shadows in both Championship and one-day cricket at the moment.

Matt Prior, who is on the verge of an England call-up, has cemented his place behind the stumps in both forms of the game and the slot in the four-day side created by the retirement of Tony Cottey last season has been grabbed with both hands by the prolific Mike Yardy.

Ambrose played in the Championship opener against Surrey a month ago but since Sussex have reverted to playing four front-line bowlers and all-rounder Robin Martin-Jenkins he has found himself on the outside looking in again.

He had a taste of first team action again earlier this week and the 78 runs he made in Sussex's only innings against Bangladesh together with a flawless performance behind the stumps were a reminder, if any was needed, of his undoubted skills.

Yardy got the nod ahead of Ambrose and even Carl Hopkinson at the start of the season because of the flourish with which he had finished 2003 when he made his maiden first-class hundred.

Adams has the final say on selection and his decision has been entirely justified with Yardy scoring 673 in eight first-class innings including 257 against the hapless tourists on Monday.

Ambrose's opportunities in one-day cricket have been even more limited.

He played in the totesport League opener against Derbyshire - his first appearance since last June - but that was only because Adams was resting a sore shoulder.

With Yardy established perhaps Ambrose's best hope of a route back would be if Richard Montgomerie's struggles in the Championship continued.

Montgomerie has only lodged 42 runs in six innings so far and desperately needs a score against Middlesex next week. If his bad run continues Sussex's patience must eventually wear out.

Adams said: "Tim shouldn't worry because his time will come. He has so much potential which I'm sure he will fulfill here at Sussex.

"He knows what he's got to do which is keep scoring runs in second team cricket and keep consistently. If he does that his opportunity will come, whether it's because of an injury or a loss of form for someone else.

"And when he does get his chance let's hope he grabs it just like Yards has done."

Ambrose admits he did a lot of soul searching in the winter after enduring the first slump of his career last season and has come back with a point to prove to himself as much as anyone else.

He said: "I had a couple of little injuries and it went downhill from there. I'd never had a slump and I didn't know how to deal with it.

"As much as I thought I had everything under control, looking back there is a lot more I could have done. I didn't face up to things, I assumed everything was just going to turn around."

A confidence-boosting hundred seemed his for the taking against Bangladesh on Monday before he took one liberty too many with slow left-armer Enamul Haque junior. Nevertheless, he batted at a nice tempo and looked solid against the tourists' better bowlers.

And his quietly impressive performance behind the stumps might even have given Prior food for thought from his station at mid off.

One option open to Sussex is to loan out Ambrose to another county where first team exposure is guaranteed.

Kent bowler Alamgir Sheriyar helped his old Worcestershire side overcome an injury crisis earlier this season and Kent themselves could be looking for a wicketkeeper later this season.

Geraint Jones is England's first choice at the moment and they could also lose his understudy, Niall O'Brien, in July if, as seems certain, he is called up for Ireland's ICC Trophy campaign.

Warwickshire are another county who might also be in need of a stumper soon. Keith Piper discovers next week his punishment for failing a drugs test and the county are on the lookout for back-up for Tony Frost should Piper be banned.

Director of cricket Moores said: "The loan system is a possibility for Tim but it would have to be agreed by all parties that it would be the right thing for the player and the counties concerned.

"I would never rule anything out but Tim is doing everything right at the moment. He got a hundred for the seconds in the combined game a fortnight ago which gave him a bit of belief.

"All he can do is keep performing, put himself in the frame and his chance will come."