Squad of 12 for first pre-season friendly

Monday will see Sussex take to the field for the first time in 2021 for a two-day friendly against Surrey at the Kia Oval.

The match had originally been due to take place at The 1st Central County Ground, but was moved due to issues with the outfield at Hove.

Taking charge for the first time since taking over as championship and one-day head coach, Ian Salisbury has named a 12-man squad for the match.

Sussex squad: Ben Brown (capt.), Jamie Atkins, Jack Carson, Tom Clark, Henry Crocombe, George Garton, Tom Haines, Sean Hunt, Scott Lenham, Delray Rawlins, Aaron Thomason, Stiaan van Zyl

Concussion protocol has ruled out Phil Salt, while Will Beer has a slight niggle. Mitch Claydon is banned from the first two competitive matches of the 2021 season and so was not considered for selection.

WATCH IAN SALISBURY'S PRE-SEASON INTERVIEW

Ahead of the fixture, Salisbury said, “Everyone has been working really hard all winter and the last six weeks in the marquee have been brilliant, but you can’t beat getting back out in the middle.

“The plan is that each side will bat for 90 overs, with us having first use of the strip on Monday. Vikram [Solanki, Surrey head coach] is a good friend of mine and we’ve both agreed we want to use the match to prepare as best we can, so there’ll be an element of flexibility with things like player numbers.

“With six Championship games in six weeks on the horizon, we’re conscious of managing our bowlers’ workloads. Stuart Meaker and Ollie Robinson will sit this one out but will be involved against Hamshire at the Ageas Bowl later in the week, as will Phil Salt.

“Scott Lenham’s inclusion continues our policy of integrating our academy players with the professional squad. Scott has trained well over the winter and deserves this opportunity. It’s great to see another generation of the Lenham family representing Sussex.

“A big ‘thank you’ to Surrey for hosting the fixture at short notice. We’re excited to finally be playing and starting what we hope will be an amazing journey over the next few seasons for this group of cricketers.”

BEN BROWN LOOKS AHEAD TO THE NEW CAMPAIGN

Play is scheduled to begin at 11am on both days. In line with current government restrictions, the match will be played behind closed doors. There will be no live stream, but supporters can keep up to date with the action on the Sussex Cricket Match Centre.