Essex vs Sussex Sharks

Well, here we go again. Another Vitality Blast campaign arrives with Tymal Mills' Sharks looking to right the wrongs from a previous campaign that saw them narrowly miss out on a quarter-final spot. 

And it's off to Chelmsford for the T20 opener: a ground that has, in years gone by, produced some classic matches between the two sides. 

Sussex will begin this Blast campaign with a two point deduction following the ECB's ruling in the winter, and as a result were only able to have one overseas player for this tournament: Australian opener, Dan Hughes. There's no Nathan McAndrew this year, but former Sussex player, Danny Briggs, returns as a potentially crucial spin option for Paul Farbrace's side. 

"The ambition is to win", explained Mills in his recent interview. A positive beginning to the two away games to start this now reduced tournament, with a trip to Kent on Monday following Friday, will potentially prove pivotal if that ambition is to become reality.

The Opposition 

Under the captaincy of Simon Harmer, Essex will be looking for an improved captain this time around after finishing bottom of the South Group in 2025. Despite this, they were victorious over the Sharks at Essex and, barring the Hove rain, would've likely made it a double over the Sharks with Jordan Cox outstanding for the visitors.

Last season, it was the bat of Michael Pepper that harvested the most runs for Essex (364), while Mohammad Amir claimed 20 wickets with the ball. With wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Rossington not re-engaged after his T20-only contract did not work out, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder is the only addition to Essex’s Vitality Blast squad. 

Mulder’s most recent international T20 caps came as recently as March in New Zealand, and with approaching 150 appearances in the format, he will look to prove an asset in the early matches. Cox topped the Essex batting averages last season – 10 runs ahead of anyone else – and scored a memorable century against Hampshire. A dangerous player on his day.

Previous Encounters

The two sides have met on 38 occasions in T20 history, with the first encounter taking place back in 2003.

Essex narrowly edge the head-to-head record with 19 victories, with Sussex winning 18. One game was a no result, which occurred last season at Hove as the rain came to the host's aid.

Essex have had the upper hand in recent years, with Sussex winning just one of the previous eight meetings between the sides.

Team News

Farbrace has named a 14-player squad for tomorrow's match in Chelmsford, with Tom Alsop making a first squad appearance of the season. White ball specialists, Brad Currie and Harrison Ward, also feature. Farbrace said in his interview following Day 4 at Somerset that seamer Ollie Robinson will be handed a break.

Jack Leaning has settled into Sussex swiftly in the red ball game, and he'll be pushing for a first Blast start as a Shark. 

Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Currie, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Lamb, Leaning, Mills*, Simpson (wk), Ward

Start Time

Tomorrow's fixture will commence at 7pm, with this the second match of a doubleheader. Essex Women will be hosting Warwickshire Bears Women at 2pm, with a match ticket allowing access to both games.

How to Watch

You will be able to watch every ball, free of charge, of the Essex clash via our Match Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard. 

Ticket Information

Tickets are still available for tomorrow's encounter in Essex, and can be bought via Essex's official website.