Steven Finn knows the size of the task facing him at Sussex – in more ways than one.

The new signing sourced a giant pair of boots for a young colleague as he mucked in with the fast bowlers at Hove.

Finn is looking forward to a new chapter in his career after leaving Middlesex.

He will have is own part to play in a season which starts with the Championship visit of Nottinghamshire to Hove tomorrow (11am).

But he has also impressed with the work he has done alongside an array of promising young quicks at the county.

“Finny has fitted in brilliantly,” coach and former fast bowler James Kirtley told The Argus.

“He prides himself on the way he is nurturing three or four of our young bowlers.

“Watching him operate, you’ve seen him planting himself at mid-off and offering advice and this is a guy who has won three Ashes.

“He is an incredibly talented cricketer in his own right but that he is prepared to offer his time and energy to our really exciting crop of younger fast bowlers is massive.

“He even sourced boots for one of our young players who couldn’t find a pair in a 12-and-a-half.

“He was able to do that almost immediately.

“That is the care and the empathy we have seen from him as an individual, as a person.

It turns out the man needing big boots was Sean Hunt.

Jamie Atkins and Henry Crocombe lead the new generation of seamers who had a full, tough 2021 season in which to add to the experience gained in the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Finn said: “There are a lot of young bowlers here with a lot of potential and talent that will keep me on my toes.

“Hopefully with the experience I’ve got I will be able to help them make the best of their careers and hopefully go on and represent England.

“Certainly a lot of the guys that are here are talented players and I am looking forward to working with them.”

Asked what their next challenge will be, he said: “Consistency is the key.

“Not just consistency in bowling but consistency in mood and dealing with different situations within games.

“Backing that up and putting strings of games together is important.

“When you are trying to go the next level and play Test match cricket, you have to get through a series.

“There are good people for them to learn from here – James Kirtley, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer.

“There is a lot of knowledge for those guys to tap into.

“My advice for them would be to pick everybody’s brains as much as you can.”

Finn turned 33 this week.

He made his Middlesex debut back in 2005 and played 36 Tests for England.

Now he is enjoying this new chapter.

He is aware expectation of Sussex from outside the camp will be close to zero after the dismal way they ended 2021.

But he said: “It’s an exciting period in my career. A change of environment and certainly something I am looking forward to.

“Everybody has welcomed me with open arms so far so I’m very much looking forward to getting going.

“I think it’s about not getting too far ahead of ourselves.

“We have got good players and it is about keeping it as simple as possible.

“Building innings by innings, game by game and stringing games together.

“We don’t need to look too far ahead, don’t need to put too many expectations on ourselves.

“But, if we play to our potential, then we are going to challenge some of the best teams in the division.

“We have got a couple of very handy overseas players coming in to bolster the ranks as well.

“I think it is great we are underdogs.

“I have been in the dressing room now for three or four months and you can see the potential that is there.

“If people want to under-estimate us, they will do so at their own peril.

“We are certainly looking forward to it.”