Strong Start for Sussex Seniors Across Opening Month

Strong Start for Sussex Seniors Across Opening Month

An unbeaten opening month for the Sussex 50+ 1st XI and 60+ 3rd XI, alongside strong performances across nine Sussex Seniors teams, ensured the 2026 season began with real momentum.

There has been plenty to encourage the Sussex Seniors in the opening weeks of the 2026 campaign, with May delivering a strong return across the club’s age-group programme. Across nine teams, Sussex have already used 139 players and fulfilled 49 fixtures in all competitions and friendlies, with 41 completed and 8 cancelled due to both the rain and the heat!

The 50+ 1st XI lead the way with three wins from three completed fixtures, while elsewhere the 60+ and 70+ sides produced a number of eye-catching results to give Sussex a confident start to the new season.

Victories over Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Surrey have placed the 50+ 1st XI second in the 50+ County Championship - Group 5, who will be looking to go one or even two better than last year, after winning their group and losing out by just 2 runs in the national Quarter Final.

While the 60+ sides have underlined Sussex’s strength in depth with wins recorded by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th XIs. The 60+ 3rd XI have also made an unbeaten start and sit fifth in The Seniors County Cricket Championship - National 60+ Division 3 table, which features 19 teams. 

The 70+ 1st XI recovered from an opening defeat to beat Hampshire, and the 70+ 2nd XI also produced an impressive result against Essex. Taken together, May has provided Sussex with a solid and competitive platform on which to build.

The breadth of Sussex’s strong opening month is also reflected in the early season numbers, with several players already making significant contributions across the age groups. Martin Sims leads the batting charts with 248 runs (62 ave), followed by Martin Brownsey with 232 (116 ave) and Gary Young with 203 (203 ave). 

With the ball, David Christmas leads the way with 10 wickets (19 ave), ahead of John Paddy Smith with 8 (33 ave) and Harry Chetwood, Bryan Cox, Imran Khan, Michael Murray and Trevor Stanley, all of whom have 6 wickets apiece. 

Among the standout individual displays, Gary Young made 159 not out against Hertfordshire 60+ 4th XI, John Connelly struck 151 against Middlesex 60+ 3rd XI, and Harry Chetwood returned 4 for 19 against Middlesex 50+ 1st XI, while Bryan Cox produced figures of 4 for 12 against Essex 60+ 5th XI.

With June fixtures now approaching, the Sussex Seniors will look to build on that momentum and turn a promising opening month into sustained early-season progress.

Supporters can continue to follow Sussex Seniors fixtures and results throughout the season via the Play-Cricket platform and the Sussex Cricket Foundation website. Anyone interested in getting involved behind the scenes is also encouraged to contact Director of Sussex Seniors Cricket, Hugh Milner on inducker@ntlworld.com.