FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY FINAL, Lord's:
Sussex v Hampshire
Date: Saturday, 25 July 2009 Start of play: 1045 BST
Coverage: Live ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC R4 LW, BBC Sussex, BBC Radio Solent and BBC Sport website; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; scorecard on Ceefax & digital text

Yardy hopes to get his hands on the FP Trophy on Saturday

Sussex captain Michael Yardy says his side must play the game rather than the occasion if they want to win the Friends Provident Trophy final.

The Hove outfit face south coast rivals Hampshire in Saturday's county showpiece at Lord's.

Yardy told BBC Sussex: "It will be a special occasion but we're trying to get away from making it a big event.

"We are there to play a game of cricket, not to savour it all. We are there to win the game."

Yardy added: "It is a big occasion because it is special for a county player to play in front of 28,000 in a showpiece game.

"But you can get caught up in it all and we must remember what's got us there in terms of the way we have played our cricket."

Yardy is in his first season as captain of Sussex after taking the reins following Chris Adams' retirement.

But to ensure the county end it with a trophy, he believes his side must handle the pressure of the contest better than their opponents.

"I think the team that deals with the pressure the most and stands up when difficult times come up will win," said Yardy.

"I'm sure it's going to ebb and flow and if we can take control of difficult situations that will hold us in good stead.

"I don't see why we can't win. We're a good team and we've played some good cricket this year, so hopefully that can continue."

Sussex are certainly the in-form team, having won their last eight one-day games, including Sunday's four-run Pro40 win over Hampshire at Arundel.

They also have relatively recent experience of success at Lord's having beaten Lancashire there in the 2006 C&G Trophy final.

But Yardy, a member of that victorious side, believes maintaining their recent high standards will be more important than feeding off the success of three years ago.

606: DEBATE How do you think Saturday's final will go?

"We had success in 2006 but we're playing against a completely different team and conditions will be different," he added.

"It is a different occasion and something we have to treat differently, but if we can use the positives of 2006 that will help.

"We are playing really good one-day cricket at the moment, winning a lot of games.

"But it is a completely different occasion on Saturday because we are playing a top-quality Hampshire team, who we respect, but if we can carry on playing on good cricket that will help."

Reaching Lord's only a year after failing to qualify from their group represents a dramatic change in fortunes for Sussex.

But manager Mark Robinson believes it is even more remarkable given the county not only lost the services of Adams over the winter, but also key spinner Mushtaq Ahmed to retirement.

"I think a lot of people expected us to fail this year, so it's a bit of a bonus to be where we are," said Robinson.

"In some people's eyes we are ahead of where they would imagine us, but we have always had confidence in the players."

And it is the quality of the players' performances that have left Robinson with a selection dilemma ahead of what he acknowledges will be a difficult match.

"We have a lot of respect for Hampshire because they've got some dangerous players and they're a tight unit. We know we're in for a tough contest," said Robinson.

"We've managed to get ourselves into a bit of form and we've got lots of good players playing well, in and out of the squad.

"We've got people in and around the team playing well which means competition is fierce.

"We've got some proper, tricky selection problems, but that's what you want."

But putting those selection issues to one side, Robinson concedes he would love to give the Sussex fans a repeat of their 2006 victory - particularly given this final is a local derby.

"The atmosphere in 2006 was pretty electric and we had a great day then with magnificent support from the Sussex people," he added.

"We know they are good at getting right behind us and hopefully we can put on a show that justifies their faith."

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