Squad announced for Friday's clash with Essex Eagles

*Important spectator information for this fixture is available here*

Essex Eagles are the visitors to The 1st Central County Ground on Friday night (7pm start) for Sussex Sharks' final home group match in this year's Vitality Blast. 

Head Coach James Kirtley has named a 14-man squad for the fixture. Henry Crocombe, Delray Rawlins and Ollie Robinson return after missing the team's last three Blast fixtures while isolating. Chris Jordan is also back in contention having recovered from a groin injury that kept him out of the matches against Middlesex and Glamorgan last week. Ali Orr has also been added to the squad.

Chris Jordan is one of seven Sharks bowlers with a tournament economy rate of below eight runs per over.

A number of players were unavailable for selection for Friday's fixture. Tymal Mills is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during Sussex's win over Glamorgan last Friday. Aaron Thomason has been required to isolate by NHS Test and Trace. Phil Salt is on international duty having been called up for England's ODI series against Pakistan after the initial squad were forced to isolate. George Garton was part of that original squad and so is also unavailable.

Having played 11 of their 14 South Group games, the Sharks are fourth with 13 points from their four wins, two defeats and five no results. Surrey, in third, are level on points but have played a game extra. Second-placed Somerset have 14 points and leaders Kent Spitfires have 15, both from eleven games. The top four sides will qualify for the quarter finals in late August.  

The South Group table ahead of Friday's fixtures 

Sussex squad

Luke Wright (captain), Will Beer, Ravi Bopara, Oli Carter, Mitch Claydon, Henry Crocombe, Travis Head (overseas, Australia), Chris Jordan, Archie Lenham, Ali Orr, Delray Rawlins, Ollie Robinson, Harrison Ward, David Wiese (overseas, South Africa)

Essex Eagles

After a solitary victory in their opening six Vitality Blast matches this season, four wins from their last five matches have seen the Eagles soar into contention for a quarter final berth. With three group games to go, Essex are sixth in the South Group with 11 points, one behind Gloucestershire in fifth and two behind Sussex and Surrey in fourth and third respectively.

Consistent contributions from any of Essex’s batsmen have been thin on the ground so far, with the top-scorer Michael Pepper’s 210 runs at a strike rate of 132.91 not enough to put him in the top 40 in the competition overall. Dan Lawrence has scored 163 runs in his six innings, with a strike rate of over 150, but he will not be available on Friday night after being included in England’s replacement squad for the ODIs against Pakistan.

Tom Banton, Marnus Labuschagne and James Vince are among Sam Cook's victims in this year's Vitality Blast

Essex’s bowlers have fared better, with both right-arm seamer Sam Cook and off-spinner Simon Harmer taking 15 wickets each, making them the joint sixth leading wicket takers in the competition. They are two of three Eagles bowlers with economy rates below eight runs per over, with Aron Nijjar the other. The left-arm spinner is the team’s most economical bowler, with his 39 overs to date costing an average of just 7.12 runs each.

Squad: 

Starting XI in previous fixture: William Buttleman, Adam Wheater+, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, James Neesham, Ryan ten Doeschate, Paul Walter, Simon Harmer*, Aron Nijjar, Jack Plom, Sam Cook

Match information

Friday's fixture against Essex Eagles at The 1st Central County Ground is scheduled to begin at 7pm. Tickets for the match are sold out. There will be no on-the-day gate sales or collections.

If you are coming to the match, please read this important information for spectators.

If you can’t make the game, a live stream will be available on the Sussex Cricket Match Centre, alongside a video scorecard and live statistics.

Many thanks to match sponsor Aerotron for their support.