Goodwin: It's good to win

25 September 2006 | By Catherine Goble

Murray Goodwin was Sussex's leading run-scorer for the season © Getty Images

Murray Goodwin was overcome by emotion at Trent Bridge after helping Sussex to their second title-winning season in four years.

The Zimbabwean batsman was the county's top run-scorer in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship, making 1649 runs at an average of 63.42, including a score of 235 against Yorkshire at Arundel.

But even that was not enough to compete with the mix of feelings he experienced on the day Sussex actually got their hands on the coveted trophy.

"It's hard to sum up your feelings because all the hard work you have put in all season has all paled down to this," he told ecbtv.

"It's one of joy, but also relief. It's amazing to know that everyone else is in the same boat with this feeling of ecstasy. It's so good. We are just feeling so happy for everyone."

Goodwin also paid tribute to the Sussex faithful, who had travelled up to Nottinghamshire to support the team and see them lift the silverware.

"It's so great to feel this in front of everyone and for everyone. A lot of people have made the effort to come up here. Unfortunately it wasn't at home, but that's just the way cricket goes with the fixtures.

Sussex embodied the spirit of effective teamwork this year

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"But it is fortunate that everyone in the team has stuck together. There have been very few arguments over the summer, which is often the way when you are playing well. It's been good for the team to enjoy each other's success."

Sussex went into their final match, against Nottinghamshire, knowing that they had to win in order to claim the title.

It started well for the visitors when Chris Adams won the toss and after much deliberation chose to bat.

"It was tense. We won the toss and it was overcast. At Trent Bridge you are not sure what it is going to do. But it was a good batting wicket. We lost an early wicket which gave a few people some early nerves, but we were confident we could play to the best of our ability,” Goodwin added.

"The whole thing was doing the basics - and we did that. Then, when the bowling came, they didn't bat as well against Mushy as they probably should have done and fortunately we got the wickets."

Mushtaq Ahmed lifts the trophy aloft after spinning Sussex to a final emphatic victory

Mushtaq Ahmed took nine wickets in the second innings, and 13 in the game, and was a worthy man of the match. But Goodwin believes his reputation can often precede him, which has worked in Sussex's favour all season.

"Mushy is a good bowler, don't get me wrong, but I think that gets into people's heads," he admitted.

"We've got a fantastic bowling armoury - spin bowlers, seam bowlers, people who can swing the ball and reverse it. We have a class spinner in Mushy and Michael Yardy is a really handy part-time bowler. We've got a great balance.”

But he also knows that Sussex’s success isn’t all down to their bowlers. Goodwin may have been the only Sussex batsman to pass 1,000 runs for the season, but Chris Adams, Yardy and Matt Prior all scored over 900 runs to make sure that a platform was built.

“I think it really helps when we put runs on the board. At times the batting this year has been a bit brittle and we have had to rely on our bowlers a couple of times.

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“But I am just pleased we all played well in this game, and we played it exactly to plan - although obviously we didn’t expect to get them out so cheaply,” the 33 year-old added.

Goodwin has played for Sussex since 2001, scoring a club record of 335 against Leicestershire in 2003 - the year when they last won the championship.

He has also played state cricket for Western Australia, since leaving his homeland of Zimbabwe for whom he played 19 Tests and 78 one-day internationals between 1998 and 2000.

But Goodwin admits that nothing has made him feel as good as winning the County Championship with Sussex.

“It’s the best. I’ve played in one-day finals with Western Australia but I have never played in four-day finals with them. I’ve played in and won Test matches and got to one-day finals with Zimbabwe, but it’s not the same.

“To go through your career and win two four-day finals is very good. Some people don’t get to do that.”