Laurie Evans celebrated Sussex’s first win of the season by watching a Master at work.

It felt extra special knowing he had played his part in a winning team.

Now he hopes to play a masterful role near the top of the Sharks batting order and help his young colleagues make a splash in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Evans was Sussex’s white-ball player of the year last season and will have a major role in both 50-overs and 20-overs events this summer.

That all starts at home to Surrey today as the RLODC campaign gets under way at Hove (1pm).

Evans is up and running for the season with a handy 51 in the run chase which brought Sussex victory at Durham in the Championship.

That was a rare chance against the red ball.

As he watched Tiger Woods win the Masters on TV during the long coach journey home, Evans hoped he had given head coach Jason Gillespie something to think about when Championship cricket returns.

But he knows the white-ball stuff is where he will be really looked to for runs.

Evans told The Argus: “White-ball cricket is great fun to play in. I’d say it’s freedom but, for me, it’s like this is what I’m good at so there is always a bit of pressure and expectation to perform well.

“But I’m pretty used to that now.

“We are a team that has not really done anything in 50-overs cricket in the last few years so it is about time we really pushed for at least a quarter-final place or semi-final place.

“This competition always provides different situations.

“Sometimes you go in and you are off to a flyer and sometimes you go in when you have lost a few wickets early and you have to dig in a little bit.

“It’s a mixture between the two and that is what is so difficult about it.

“It is probably the most difficult form to pace your innings.

“But you have just got to play smart cricket and, the longer you stay out there, the easier it becomes.

“Hopefully some young players are raring to go.

“I hope they come in and provide something exciting and play a brand of cricket which is attractive but also successful.

“At the same time, it is down to the senior players in the squad to make sure we are consistent performers and let those young guys go out there and play the way they want to play and take the game away from the opposition.

“They are going to have good days and bad days.

“It is down to us as senior players to a handle the bulk of the work and manage situations when they present themselves.”

Evans has been gaining experience by playing T10 and T20 overseas during our winter.

That has, he believes, helped him improve as a batsman against the white ball since Sussex supporters last saw him at Vitality Blast Finals Day.

He said: “If I had gone and played those tournaments and hadn’t got better, I’d think about not going again.

“Playing against spin in those parts of the world is completely different to how you play it here.

“It is just about managing that expectation.

“I could come back and think I have conquered spin but I certainly haven’t.

“Playing those middle overs is all about assessing the situation and the risk, the low percentage against the high percentage scoring options.

“That is why you are a senior player.”

Evans batted at N0.5 in the RLODC last season but there were indications at training this week that Gillespie might put him further up the order this time.

The ex-Warwickshire man said: “I think he might do. We are not sure. I’ll wait until Friday but I might slide up the order.

“We will wait and see, playing against a strong Surrey side but we have actually had the wood over them in 50-over cricket since I’ve been here.

“They will turn up with all their stars and we will try and turn them over.”

That would make it two wins on the bounce – in very different formats and, if the forecasts are right, very different weather.

Evans went out to help complete the comeback at Durham along with century-maker Stiaan van Zyl after the South African and Luke Wells had put the fourth-innings chase on course.

There was a bit of luck along the way as Evans saw a simple chance put down but he passed 50 to help leave Sussex on the brink.

He said: “It was great to play that and to get the win, more importantly.

“I was really chuffed to be given the opportunity and I feel like I have worked hard for it.

“I feel like I have, hopefully, given Dizzy (Gillespie) something to think about.

“I tried to go out there (on the last morning) and be as positive as I could be and make good decisions.

“I wasn’t going to let them bowl and dictate and provide a shaky start.

“I went out and tried to hit them off length and stuff like that and it went my way.

“I think that is down to the player I am nowadays. I’m certainly as good as I have ever been in terms of my all-round cricket.

“Stiaan did a sensational job, did all the hard work. Him and Wellsy’s partnership the day before, without that the win wouldn’t have been so easy.

“I just came in and helped get us over the line. I really didn’t do too much of the tricky bits but it certainly made the journey back a lot better.

“The Masters did that as well. It was great to watch. We had all the boys watching the golf, watching Tiger, and that was amazing.”