All you need to know ahead of our RL50 game against Gloucestershire

The Royal London Cup returns to The 1st Central County Ground tomorrow as the Sharks take on Gloucestershire. To ensure you have all the information you need ahead of your visit, we have pulled together everything you need to know to plan your day at Hove.

When to arrive

The action gets underway tomorrow at 11:00am, with gates opening for spectators from 9:30am. There will be an interval between innings at approximately 2:30pm, lasting 30 minutes. Play is expected to finish at 6:45pm.

There are two main entrances to The 1st Central County Ground. You can access our main gate via Eaton Road adjacent to the development and former site of The Sussex Cricketer Pub. Alternatively, you can access the ground via our North Gate at the end of Palmeira Avenue.

Seating information

Seating at The 1st Central County Ground is unreserved for all of our Royal London Cup games, so you can pick your favourite seat to watch the action.

The only restrictions are in the Spen Cama Pavilion where seating is reserved for members only.

Hospitality information

For those of you who will experience the Royal London Cup with one of our Premium Hospitality packages, entry will be granted from 9:30am, with pastries being served from 10:30am.

Both Cow Corner and the Spen Cama Hospitality areas will close 15 minutes after the end of play.

How to get here

This weekend Brighton & Hove will be hosting the Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade, therefore we recommend that you plan you journey accordingly and leave additional time to arrive at the ground, as you may find that public transport is busier than usual.

By car

Please note there is no parking available for Royal London Cup match days, we therefore advise that you arrive by public transport if possible.

There is a public car park, Norton Road Car Park (BN3 3BE), located a short walk West of The 1st Central County Ground opposite Hove Town Hall (charges apply between 8am and 8pm). Click here for more information.

By train

Hove Railway Station is a ten-minute walk from the ground. Leave the station and head South on Goldstone Villas, at the bottom of the road turn left onto Eaton Road. Cross over The Drive continuing along Eaton Road, The 1st Central County Ground will appear on your left hand side.

Brighton Railway Station is approximately a mile and a half from the Club. There are regular rail services from Brighton Station to Hove Station. There is also a taxi rank located just outside Brighton Station, together with a bus terminus (please see bus details below).

By bus

The Number 7 bus runs past the North (Cromwell Road) end of the ground with several stops near the ground. This service is the George Street, Hove to Brighton Marina service and serves both Hove and Brighton Rail Stations. This bus runs approximately every 10 minutes and around every 15 minutes on Sundays.

The 21 & 21A Brighton Marina to Goldstone Valley service stops outside the main entrance to the ground; these are less frequent but do run through the central Hove and Brighton areas. Click here for up-to-date information on these services and for a details route map.

When you’re here

Retail shop

Visit our Club Shop where you’ll find a range of Sharks merchandise including replica shirts for 2022, training kit, bats, balls and much more. The shop will be open during the game and will close at 5pm,

Food and beverages

We have a number of food and beverage outlets for you to choose from when you’re here at Hove.

At the Sea End (just after the main entrance at Eaton Road) you’ll find Surf ‘n’ Fries serving a range of hot food options, as well as the Piccadilly Whip Ice Cream van.

Next door to the Club Shop we have Greigs Café filled with fresh hot pastries, sandwiches, pizzas and snacks.

In the Spen Cama Pavilion we have a full bar which includes draught lagers, cider and Harvey’s real ale. Teas, coffees, and pastries are also available, alongside a hot meal of fish and chips.

Spectators are permitted to bring a maximum of four 500ml cans of beer/lager or a 75cl bottle of wine per adult for all Royal London Cup games, as well as your own food.

You’ll also be able to purchase a range of soft and alcoholic drinks from the Wilbury Bar adjacent to the Shark Stand, and from the North Bank bar located at the Cromwell Road end (just after the North Gate entrance).

Cashless venue

We’d like to remind all spectators that The 1st Central County Ground is now a cashless venue. This means that only card or contactless payments will be accepted (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) throughout our venue. This will apply to all outlets at Hove, including food and beverage kiosks, ticketing, membership and our Club Shop.

Free scorecards

If you enjoy filling in your own scorecard, we’ve got you covered. Free scorecards are available at various locations across the ground, including at the gates and in the Club Shop.

Pitch access

Sharks supporters are welcome to adorn the outfield following the conclusion of play once the players and match officials have left the playing area. Access to the outfield will be permitted for 15 minutes.

Cricket is for everyone

Sussex is for everyone. Cricket is for everyone. Call it out!

That’s why we are committed to our zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination, anti-social behaviour and abuse in all its forms.

If you witness racist of homophobic abuse, or any form of discrimination or anti-social behaviour you can anonymously text ‘SHARKS’ plus details of the incident, to 07840852792.

Pride in Cricket

This weekend the city of Brighton & Hove hosts the annual Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade and this year’s theme is ‘Love, Protest and Unity’.

Sussex Cricket is committed to ensuring the cricket is for everyone and we encourage people from all backgrounds, races and communities to come and enjoy the game we all love.

You can find out more about Brighton & Hove’s Pride weekend here.

Still need a ticket?

There is still time to buy your tickets online for our game against Gloucestershire. You can purchase tickets online up until the start of play. 

Tickets can also be purchased over the phone between 9:00am and 5:00pm by calling 01273 827100.

Those wishing to purchase tickets upon arrival at The 1st Central County Ground are only able to do so via the Eaton Road gate from 9:30am. However, we strongly recommend you buy them online in advance to reduce queue times and to ensure your tickets are protected by our refund policy.

How to watch online

If you can’t make it down to Hove to watch the Sharks in action, you can watch all of the action on our livestream and keep up to date with the scorecard and ball-by-ball updates via our Match Day Centre in real time. 

Don’t forget you can also keep up to date on the go by following our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.