Chris Jordan returns to Sharks squad for El Clasicoast clash

Chris Jordan returns to the Sussex Sharks squad for Thursday night’s match against Hampshire, as Luke Wright’s side hope to return to winning ways in the Vitality Blast.

Jordan is set to make his first appearance for Sussex this summer, after recovering from elbow surgery and playing six IT20s for England against Pakistan and Australia in recent weeks.

Jofra Archer is still unavailable for Sussex selection due to his inclusion in the ODI squad, while Phil Salt has also joined the bio-secure training bubble at Old Trafford and will miss El Clasicoast.

Sussex Sharks squad to face Hampshire:

Luke Wright (C)

Will Beer

Ravi Bopara

Danny Briggs

Ben Brown (WK)

George Garton

Chris Jordan

Stuart Meaker

Tymal Mills

Ali Orr

Delray Rawlins

Ollie Robinson

Aaron Thomason

David Wiese

Sharks skipper, Wright said: “The games are going to come thick and fast now – I think we’ve got six games in 12 days. Hopefully we can pick up a bit of momentum.

“To have someone like CJ available really does add to our bowling attack. It will be fantastic to see him.”

The opposition

Hampshire have won one, drawn one and lost two of their opening four matches in this year’s Vitality Blast, with their first defeat coming in El Clasicoast at Hove on 30 August.

That six-wicket defeat, which saw Harry Finch hit the winning runs for the Sharks, came after a washed out draw against Kent Spitfires at Canterbury, where their hosts were denied victory with just four balls required for a result.

The match against Sussex at the end of August was a thrilling encounter but ultimately left Sam Northeast’s side disappointed – but they bounced back well 48 hours later to beat Essex.

The 2019 champions set Hampshire 140 to win and it was James Fuller and Ian Holland who got our south coast rivals over the line with a ball to spare.

Hampshire were unable to make it back-to-back wins when they lost to Surrey by nine-wickets in another match heavily affected by rain, with Mason Crane, who is his side’s leading wicket-taker in this year’s competition, taking the solitary dismissal.

Crane has five wickets to his name so far, while Joe Weatherley leads the run-scorer charts for Hampshire with 112 and a top-score of 68.

Follow the match LIVE

Like all matches in this year’s Vitality Blast, Thursday night’s Clasicoast against Hampshire will be played behind closed doors.

Sharks fans will however be able to enjoy all the build up and match coverage from the comfort of their homes, with the match live on Sky Cricket from 6pm, as well as all the usual coverage across Sussex’s social media channels.

Alternatively, the match will be live on BBC Radio Sussex, with full match coverage from Adrian Harms available through the BBC Sport website.