[3][6] Lewry returned to cricket in 1998, and in a match against Gloucestershire, he took a hat-trick with deliveries in two innings.
[7] He took 60 Championship wickets in the season,[8] and in 1998/99 was selected for an England A tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
[12] In 1999, Lewry discussed the possibility of a move with Nottinghamshire and Hampshire, but ultimately stayed at Sussex.
It was the best County Championship bowling since 1971, when Pat Pocock took 7 wickets in 11 balls,[12] and in the process, Lewry became the first Sussex player for 20 years to take a hat-trick at Hove, and achieved his career-best match figures of 13–79.
He went to play for Goring Cricket Club, the team that he had left in 1994 to join Sussex.