Squad for Eagles match announced PLUS full match day info

After a successful return to Championship action, Sussex resume their bid for a Vitality Blast quarter-final spot when Essex Eagles visit a sold-out The 1st Central County Ground on Thursday night.

Jason Gillespie has named a 12-man squad for the match, including new signing Jason Behrendorff who replaces the now departed Rashid Khan as the Sharks’ second overseas player.

Delray Rawlins is away on international duty with Bermuda, while Tymal Mills (back), Will Sheffield (knee) and Stiaan van Zyl (elbow) are unavailable through injury.

Looking ahead to the match, Gillespie said: “Essex Eagles have been a very good T20 side for a very long time now and have a number of proven match winners. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to play them at our home ground.

“The boys have played some pretty good cricket in the tournament and we just want to get out there again and get stuck in.  We’re not taking our form for granted and we’ll need to make sure we’re playing the best cricket we can.

“We’ve got a new overseas player which is exciting for the club and all our supporters. They’ll see a group of Sussex players going out there tomorrow night with smiles on their faces and hoping to put on a show for another sell out crowd.”

The Sharks sit on top of the South Group with four matches remaining. Six wins, one tie, two no results and one defeat from their ten games so far give them 15 points, one more than Kent Spitfires (who have played a game more) in second and two more than Middlesex in third.

Sussex Cricket would like to thank tomorrow’s match sponsors Vartan Ravenscroft for their support.

Sussex Sharks Squad

Luke Wright (captain), Will Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Danny Briggs, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Laurie Evans, Harry Finch, Chris Jordan, Ollie Robinson, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Wiese

Opposition

Essex Eagles have endured a difficult Blast this year, with just two wins from their ten games to date. The weather hasn’t been kind to Anthony McGrath’s men, either. They’ve had four washouts, including all of their last three fixtures. That has left them with only winless Glamorgan beneath them in the South Group. Despite that, as one of three clubs on eight points, Anthony McGrath’s men are still only four points behind Gloucestershire in the south group’s fourth quarter final spot.

Cameron Delport is the Eagles’ highest flyer in the tournament’s ‘most runs’ list with 233 runs from his seven innings, although 180 of those came in two knocks against Surrey (129) and Gloucestershire (51). Tom Westley (211) is the only other Essex player with over 200 runs, although most have had fewer opportunities than those from other teams given the Eagle’s luck with the weather.

Aussie overseas leg-spinner is the team’s leading wicket-taker with seven, while the evergreen Ravi Bopara has the best economy rate: 7.76 runs per over.

Squad: Simon Harmer (Captain), Mohammad Amir, Aaron Beard, Ravi Bopara, Sam Cook, Cameron Delport, Ryan ten Doeschate, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Porter, Shane Snater, Paul Walter, Tom Westley, Adam Wheater (Wicket-Keeper), Adam Zampa

Match Information

Sussex Sharks v Essex Eagles at The 1st Central County Ground on Thursday 22nd August. Play starts at 7pm, with gates opening at 5.30pm.

A guide to the game and a map of The 1st Central County Ground can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

This match is completely SOLD OUT. No tickets will be available at the gates. Ticket holders are advised to arrive early to avoid a delay passing through security checks at the entrance to the ground.

The reception/club shop will close at midday on Thursday and reopen when gates open at 5.30pm.

Supporters that have missed out on securing tickets for the match will be able to follow the action live on the Sussex Cricket Match Centre. Please note, as this is a televised fixture, no live stream will be available.