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Abu Dhabi: Essex take on Somerset in a day-night game as action in the Arch Trophy shifts from Sharjah to the capital's Zayed International Cricket Stadium from today onwards.
Five top English counties - Essex, Somerset, Lancashire, Sussex and Yorkshire - along with hosts UAE are featuring in the one-day round-robin event.
Today's day-night encounter starts at 2pm and Somerset will be making their first appearance while Essex have already played in Sharjah.
Meanwhile, Sussex, current county champions in the longer version, arrived here and will take on Lancashire tomorrow.
Speaking to Gulf News, skipper Chris Adams said his side were delighted to be here, enjoying the sunshine.
"This is in fact superb preparation for the county season. The players are all enjoying themselves in the sun and we hope to have a good tournament. This is a fantastic facility and the climate is also fantastic," he said.
Prolific record
Sussex, one of the smaller counties, took 165 years to win a county title for the first time in 2003 and since then they have won it three times, including two titles in succession over the last two seasons.
"We are looking to pick up some valuable practice ahead of the season. It would be great if we could win it for the third successive season," said Adams, whose squad comprise a mix of youth and experience.
Commenting on the pressures of being the defending champions, Adams said: "It does get a bit harder every year. The level of expectancy goes up each time you win. But it is a challenge and we look forward to it."
"Matt Prior is just back from the England squad and another of our players Tim Ambrose has taken his place there. Prior brings in some valuable international experience. So does Luke Wright who played in the recent ODIs against New Zealand," said Adams.
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