Lancashire travel down to Hove today in preparation for the most crucial week of their County Championship season.

Not only do Mike Watkinson's table toppers face nearest rivals Sussex tomorrow, in what could turn out to be a "do or die" clash but third placed Hampshire also travel to fourth placed Kent.

"We all know that this is a top of the table clash but we are just trying to concentrate fully on what we do," said in-form batsman Mal Loye.

"Everybody will undoubtedly look at this week and say that it could be the end for one team or the other but Kent and Hampshire are still in the mix. Yes it is a crucial game, but it is only as big as the five that we have after it."

Loye, who has now overtaken Stuart Law in the race to be Lancashire's leading run-scorer, has been suffering of late from a hip injury that threatened to end his season. But a cortisone injection and a century against Notts have lifted his spirits.

"I had a cortisone injection before the Notts game and I feel like the injury is getting better day by day. I have never had an injury to my hip before it was a freak injury that happened in the gym so I didn't really know what to do."

"However, the way I played at Notts told me that things are getting a lot easier, and I am just not willing to miss out on the run in to the end of the season."

Loye is trying hard not to look back on the amazing five wicket win at Trent Bridge on Saturday he joined Iain Sutcliffe in recording a match winning century and put too much importance on it.

"I suppose you can look at it and say that the win against Notts will be the crucial one if we end up going on to win the league. But you can also look at the defeat at Kent if we don't win it."

Watkinson has added Kyle Hogg and Simon Marshall to the side that played at Trent Bridge to make up his 13-man squad.