Sussex Cricket confirm player departures

Sussex Cricket can announce that five players will be leaving the Club following the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Daniel Hughes, Brad Currie, Harrison Ward, Troy Henry and Nantes Oosthuizen will all leave Sussex at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Daniel Hughes

After first joining Sussex as an overseas signing for the 2024 season, Hughes played a vital role in helping Sussex reach Finals Day in the Vitality Blast and achieve promotion to Division One in the County Championship. 

In the 2024 Vitality Blast, he scored 641 runs at an average of 40.06, including a top-score of 96 not-out - A score which he bettered during this year's competition as he hit an unbeaten 108 from just 52 balls against Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School.

In the red-ball game, Hughes' consistency at the top of the order has been unquestionable. Finishing just shy of 2000 First Class runs for Sussex since his arrival, they come at an average of 43.13, including four centuries.

Speaking on leaving Sussex, Hughes said: “I’ve loved every minute of my time playing for Sussex. These last three years in Hove have been some of the most enjoyable of my career both on and off the field. I can’t thank the club enough for their support and everything they’ve done for me and my family during my time here. 

Thanks to all of the players and staff who let me into the changing room, it’s one of the most unique (but one of the best) I’ve been a part of. Sussex will always be a special place for me and my family given it is where our daughter Lily was born. Thanks for all the memories.”

Director of Cricket, Paul Fabrace, said: "Daniel has been a fantastic overseas player and professional over the last three seasons here at Hove. He has shown his high level of skill with the bat on the field and has been a really steadying influence on the dressing room and around the team. Daniel has so much knowledge and experience, he is a top professional and great team man.

Daniel and his partner, Maddy, made an amazing sacrifice to be with us last season, by staying in England for the birth of their daughter Lily, and this just showed how much Daniel cares about this club, and we can’t thank Daniel and Maddy enough for their amazing contribution over the last three years.

Daniel and Maddy will always be welcome here at Hove, and Daniel I hope will look back on his time here with a sense of real satisfaction, because scoring runs and winning games in both forms for the game is one thing, but the role he has played helping to develop our home-grown players has been immense.

We wish Daniel, Maddy and Lily all the very best and look forward to seeing them back here at Hove."

Brad Currie

Currie initially joined Sussex on a short-term deal in 2022, making an immediate impact on debut, taking 6-93 in the County Championship against Middlesex at Lord’s.

He then went on to become a key member of the Sharks’ white-ball attack that year, taking 12 wickets in 8 appearances as he helped the side reach the semi-finals of the Royal London Cup. Brad continued to shine in the T20 Blast for the Sharks with his tricky left-arm swing bowling, taking 16 wickets and earning call-ups to his national team, Scotland. 

Unfortunately, Brad was only able to feature once for the Sharks this year, after picking up an injury to his achilles during the Vitality Blast opener against Essex at Chelmsford.

Currie said: "I’m sad that my time at the club has come to an end, especially as this season was fully tainted by injury. Sussex were the club to take a chance on me and allowed me to live out moments I will forever cherish, and for that I will be eternally grateful. I sincerely wish each and every individual connected with the whole club all the very best with their careers. I hope to never be a stranger at Hove. GOSBTS."

Fabrace said: "Brad has been a very loyal servant to Sussex over the last few years, and we have all been delighted to see him progress to playing with real distinction for Scotland in ICC tournaments and World Cricket leagues. Brad is one of the best professionals I have had the pleasure of working with, and that’s why to have lost him to injury for most the of the Blast campaign was tough to watch, he gives himself the very best chance of success every day, by training hard, preparing well and being incredibly knowledgeable about the game.

I am looking forward to watching Brad's career flourish and develop and we all wish him every success, and he is always welcome back here at Hove."

Harrison Ward

Ward signed for Sussex in 2021 after coming through the Club's talent development partnership with Oxfordshire. Primarily seen as a white-ball prospect, Ward has led the line atop the batting order in T20 cricket over the past few years, and recorded his High Score of 69 in the competition earlier in the season against Leicestershire.

Also featuring in the red ball and One Day Cup sides, Ward leaves the Club having played in four First Class matches, 12 List A games and 57 T20s. In T20 cricket, he has racked up 1,199 runs with a strike rate of 146.21, making seven half-centuries.

On leaving Sussex, Ward said: "I would like to say thank you to everyone who has made my time at Sussex thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you for the support from all the members, supporters and in particular the Players Club. Also to the coaches, supporters staff and lads in the dressing room, all of whom I will miss greatly. I would finally like to wish the club all the best for the future and will always be following the Sussex scores."

On Ward's departure, Paul Farbrace said: "Harrison leaves Sussex with our very best wishes, as he has developed into an excellent T20 player at the top of the order. His ball striking ability has been fantastic to watch, and he has shown that he can also back that up with his top-class fielding, especially on the boundary. It is never easy when young players who have come through the pathway, and in Harrison’s case through the excellent Oxford/Sussex pathway when they must move on.

We all wish Harrison nothing but the best in his next chapter, and because of his popularity in the dressing room will always be most welcome back."

Troy Henry

Henry made history last year as he became the first graduate of the ACE Programme to play professional men’s cricket when he made his debut for Sussex Sharks in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

The left-arm spinner is the former captain of the ACE team, a charity run by Chevy Green that Sussex Cricket has worked closely with that engages young people of African and Caribbean Heritage, helping to provide them with opportunities to become professionals in the game.

He made six appearances for the Sharks in List A cricket, taking five wickets.

On leaving Sussex after a two-season stay: "After two memorable years at Sussex, I’m incredibly grateful for the journey, opportunities, friendships and memories. Making my debut in the 50-over competition was a huge moment I’ll never forget and will always be proud of.

A massive thank you to Farby, the coaching staff and everyone behind the scenes for the belief, support and encouragement you’ve given me. You’ve helped me grow not only as a cricketer, but as a person too, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

And to my teammates, thank you for the laughs, support and memories. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this club and the people who made these two years so special. Thank you, Sussex. 💙"

Commenting on Henry leaving the Club, Farbrace said: "Troy joined Sussex after the open trials day we held at Hove just over two years ago. Troy stood as a very talented spin bowler with a great attitude. He has worked so hard over the last two seasons and showed a high level of skill in the One Day Cup this past season and in particular the game at Arundel, when he played a leading role in the one win we had in the competition.

Troy and his family have been a real pleasure to have at Hove over the last two years, a very popular young man and one we all want to see keep developing and evolving his career. Troy and his family will always be most welcome back here at Hove."

Nantes Oosthuizen

After joining Sussex from the Surrey Academy ahead of the 2025 season, Oosthuizen made his Sussex debut at Durham during the 2026 Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign.

He featured twice more in the competition, taking three wickets across his three matches played for the Sharks.

Farbrace said: "Nantes joined us from Seaford College and has shown a real improvement in his skill levels and hope he is able to use what he has learnt form the last couple of years and drive himself on to be the best he can be. A lovely young lad and a real pleasure to work with over the last couple of years. We all wish Nantes the very best and he knows he is always welcome back at Hove."

Oosthuizen said: "I’ve really enjoyed my time here at Sussex, it was a great experience to have learned from such a great group of players and coaching staff. I wish Sussex nothing but the best for the future."

The full list of players leaving the Club is:

• Henry Crocombe
• Fynn Hudson-Prentice
• John Simpson
• George Thomas
• Tom Alsop
• Dan Hughes
• Brad Currie
• Harrison Ward
• Troy Henry
• Nantes Oosthuizen

The Club would like to place on record its thanks to all departing players for their effort and commitment during their time at Sussex and wish all of them the very best for the future.