Chris Adams will end one of the biggest team-talks of his career tomorrow by telling his Sussex side: Don't die wondering.' The Sussex captain is convinced his side can win the county's first one-day final for 20 years if the Lord's occasion does not inhibit them.

The C&G Trophy final against Lancashire pits the two best teams in the country and looks too close to call.

But Adams believes his men can get the edge - if they hold their nerve.

He said: "Lancashire will have to dig out a special performance to beat us , although I imagine Mark Chilton is thinking exactly the same thing.

"It really is a 50-50 game, the sides are so evenly matched. What will make the difference for either side is one special performance from someone, be it a hundred or five wickets.

"If that comes from one of our guys then it will be absolutely fantastic but for it to happen everyone must commit themselves 100 per cent to every single moment of the game. There can't be any maybes, ifs or buts when it's all over."

Adams himself performed patchily in the qualifying round of the competition when he made just one half-century against Ireland.

But his unbeaten 132 when Sussex won the dress rehearsal in the Pro40 League three weeks ago ensured that his will be a prized wicket for Lancashire.

"I'm due in this competition and I feel in pretty good nick," he said.

Adams is one of only two players who has played in a Lord's one-day final before along with Richard Montgomerie, having been part of the Derbyshire side which beat Lancashire in 1993.

"It's an experience that can take your breath away which is where guys who have done it before will be important," he said. "But I've got no worries about our younger players - they will be fine."

Sussex will complete their preparations with a net session at Lord's this afternoon having travelled to London after playing in last night's Twenty20 Floodlit Cup tie at Chelmsford.

They have no new injury worries and will name the side which beat Glamorgan in the Pro40 League on Sunday. And if Adams wins the toss he will almost certainly stick Lancashire in - a tactic which has served Sussex well in one-day cricket this season.

"Our preparations as a team this week could not have gone better," said Adams.

"Technically everything is in the bank. If we didn't do another thing between now and tomorrow then we would still be fine. We're ready to go."