ED GIDDINS, the Sussex bowler banned for 20 months after testing positive for cocaine during a championship match at the end of May, has decided to appeal against the suspension.

Giddins, 25, who will not rejoin Sussex when the ban ends, has maintained his innocence all along. Initially, he said he would not challenge the verdict, but after taking legal advice he has changed his mind. The appeal will be considered by the Cricket Council's appeals sub-committee, the same body who ruled in Ray Illingworth's favour when he contested a fine for remarks about Devon Malcolm.

Giddins's ban runs until April 1, 1998, and his attempts to find employment abroad have, so far, come to nothing. ``I've found it extremely difficult to get a club overseas,'' he said.