Skipper Mike Yardy believes Sussex’s eye-catching one-day win over Durham can kick-start their season.

The sides meet again in the Championship at Hove today 48 hours after an unbeaten 103 from opener Ed Joyce inspired Sussex to an eight-wicket victory, their first of the season.

Yardy said: “You see it all the time in cricket and other sports – any win helps build confidence and momentum and when it comes you don’t care how quickly it is before the next game.”

Yardy himself admits he is still feeling his way into the captaincy but getting that first win will have helped the settling-in process.

He has already shown himself to be imaginative in the field in both his field placings and bowling changes but says the influence of his long-standing predecessor Chris Adams, who did the job for a county record 11 years, is still there.

Yardy said: “We have had a lot of success and there are lots of things we do which don’t need changing.

“I don’t have to go at things like a bull in a china shop but there are certain things which I want us to do differently to before. Getting used to all the little things you have to get involved in as captain takes time but I’m enjoying it so far.

“As a side we are getting better all the time but we still need everyone to step up their game and chip in that bit more, especially against a good side like Durham.”

Luke Wright returns to the squad after playing for England Lions last week but Matt Prior, who is on Test duty, drops out after scoring 140 last week.

Sussex’s main selection problem is who will bat at No5 but Joe Gatting made a case after helping Joyce put on 117 for the first wicket on Monday while Carl Hopkinson is fit again and Ollie Rayner and Will Beer will challenge Rory Hamilton-Brown for the spinner’s slot.

Yasir Arafat arrives at the end of the week but will be missing again for the first three weeks of June after being named in Pakistan’s squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Sussex (from): Yardy, Nash, Joyce, Goodwin, Gatting, Hopkinson, L. Wright, Hamilton-Brown, Beer, Rayner, Aga, D. Wright, Collymore.

Durham (from): Di Venuto, Stoneman, Muchall, Benkenstein, Smith, Blackwell, Mustard, Plunkett, Thorp, Claydon, S.Harmison, B.Harmison, Breese.