A registration committee at Lord's decided yesterday to place a two-week embargo on any move by Adams, in the words of the chairman, Alan Wheelhouse, ``to keep a level playing field and give all counties a fair chance of signing him''. But they agreed to switch Adams to list two, which includes players out of contract and free to move, from list one, which contains players whose move is opposed by their former county. Only two 'list one' players may be signed by any county over five years. The committee decided that Derbyshire, by releasing Adams from his contract in August, had thereby in effect transferred him to list two.
This allows Sussex to sign an additional list one player if the opportunity arises, a matter of importance to Adams since, assuming he remains firm in his intention despite the possibility of renewed approaches by other counties in the next fortnight, he will take over the captaincy of the county which finished bottom of both the County Championship and the Sunday League. Encouraged by Sussex's signing of the Australian Test batsman and wrist-spinner Michael Bevan, he is expected to sign for three years and, with a package estimated at £70,000 a year, would then become the best paid player in county cricket.
Wheelhouse might have been in an embarrassing position in this case because Nottinghamshire, where he is chairman, were among the clubs originally chasing Adams. Their attentions have now switched, however, to the Lancashire and England opener, Jason Gallian, who is likely to sign for them next week. The Zimbabwean Test player Paul Strang confirmed his move to Nottinghamshire yesterday, saying: ``I am sad to leave Kent but I am joining a county with great potential.''
These movements are further indication of the restless county game. By next season there will be new captains in six of the 18 first-class clubs and the escalation in the amounts being offered to players wanting to move is worrying both the England Cricket Board and the Professional Cricketers' Association, whose concern is the general level of wages.
Derbyshire still hope they might hold on to Devon Malcolm but he is being chased by Worcestershire, Northants and Hampshire. Chris Lewis, who has had an offer from Leicestershire, may leave Surrey.
In all these cases offers of around £50,000 a year threaten smaller staffs and possible financial problems for many clubs. Sussex themselves lost an estimated £300,000 last year for a variety of reasons but with Bevan, probably Adams and another established English cricketer under 30 in their sights it is clear that they are intending to buy their way back into a position from which they can start to recoup their money. They have several locally produced players of talent too, including Jason Lewry, now fully recovered from the back injury which prevented his playing all last season.
Adams apparently made up his mind to join them after a meeting at Hove in mid-October. He undoubtedly has the potential to play Test, not to mention one-day cricket for England, although he will be 28 next May and he has left it late to make the breakthrough for which he yearns. He is an accomplished batsman of naturally attacking inclination, who learnt under the dual tutelage of the ill-fated Australian pairing of Dean Jones and Les Stillman in 1996 to play himself in more carefully before unleashing his array of handsome, muscular strokes.
His offer was negotiated by Tony Pigott, Sussex's irrepressible chief executive, his new deputy, the highly regarded Australian David Gilbert, and Don Trangmar, the Marks and Spencer executive who is likely to succeed Robin Marlar as chairman in due course. The combination of Pigott's optimism, Gilbert's high reputation as a coach and motivator and Trangmar's business acumen proved a brew strong enough to convince Adams that a touch of salty air would refresh his career more effectively than a safer move to Nottinghamshire, Kent, or any of the other counties vying for his service.
For these clubs there are other fish in the sea. Leicestershire's tall and talented off-spinner, Adrian Pierson, who took 42 wickets when they won the championship in 1996 and 38 last season, was also switched from list one to two yesterday and is free to move. Kent, who have no regular off-break bowler, are bound to be among the counties interested in signing a 34-year-old bowler who was educated in Canterbury but whose county career started with Warwickshire in 1985.
Yorkshire's attempt to block any move by their former England Under-19 all-rounder Alex Morris was upheld by the registration committee, who agreed that he is correctly placed on list one. This may not stop Morris from moving but any county signing him would have to be sure that they did not have equally talented young all-rounders.