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Ed Joyce will be back in the home dressing room at Lord's, less than a year after leaving Middlesex in search of fresh challenges.
The former England batsman returns to St John's Wood as a key member of a Sussex line-up likely to start as narrow favourites against Hampshire in a Friends Provident Trophy final that could give Lord's another match to remember.
Andrew Flintoff's thrilling performance during Monday's Ashes showdown will take some beating. But two counties packed with potential match-winners should serve up a treat.
Joyce, who led Middlesex to glory in last year's Twenty20 Cup but then left the club after a decade of service, has played a huge part in getting Sussex to Lord's this summer.
The Dubliner scored two centuries - both against Durham - during the early stages of the FPT but it was his masterpiece in a semi-final meeting with Gloucestershire that showed why he could yet add to 17 one-day international appearances.
Joyce hit an unbeaten 146 from 139 balls at Hove, setting up Sussex for a mighty 50-over total of 326 for seven which proved 34 runs too many for the visitors.
With England wicketkeeper Matt Prior - who made a sparkling 61 at Lord's last Saturday to hasten an Ashes declaration - available to play tomorrow and hard hitting international all-rounder Luke Wright on board, Sussex should not be short of firepower.
But Hampshire have a few potential aces of their own, including the irrepressible Dominic Cork.
Like Joyce, Cork - now nearly 38 - changed counties at the end of last season, though not through choice in his case. Released by Lancashire, the former England all-rounder vowed to show his old employers they were premature in letting him go. And although he played only a minor part in Hampshire's semi-final victory at Old Trafford earlier this month, victory was clearly sweet.
Cork, with his love for the big stage, could easily emerge as Hampshire's trump card tomorrow. But it is Joyce who is back on highly familiar territory - and Sussex who have bagged what is now, following England's victory on Monday, the lucky home dressing room.
