Sussex Sharks vs Leicestershire Foxes

A first Vitality Blast Doubleheader of the campaign at Hove awaits on Friday as both Sussex Men and Sussex Women take to the field, playing host to Leicestershire Foxes.

Tuesday was a difficult night for Paul Farbrace's side at Hampshire's Utilita Bowl as the Sharks slipped to a third consecutive defeat in the competition despite putting themselves in a fine position during the run chase.

Keeping the host's total down to a reachable target of 174, the Sharks' riposte was impressive: Harrison Ward and Dan Hughes blasting Sussex to 67-0 off 5.5 overs, before the collapse arrived. After the powerplay, the Sharks slipped to 122-9 before a late Henry Crocombe flurry with the bat took them to 144 before being bowled out. A frustrating result following prior defeats to Kent Spitfires and Middlesex.

Alexia Walker's side have faced similar misfortune in the Vitality Blast, still searching for that first win in the competition. They came mightily close to victory on Sunday, however, against a strong Glamorgan Women team. Having posted a strong score of 166-5, it was duly chased down with just two balls to spare. Mollie Adams is perhaps the most in-form player in the tournament, having recorded her third half-century in as many Blast matches on Sunday with a majestic score of 80.

Heartbreak, yet a performance to be proud of. Friday's doubleheader, then, provides a perfect opportunity for both Sharks sides to gain some momentum and keep their hopes of advancing deeper into the competition alive.

Team News

Paul Farbrace has named a 14-player squad for the hosting of the Foxes, with Sean Hunt pushing for a first start of the 2026 season following the injury he sustained before the campaign began. 

Henry Crocombe and James Coles have both been selected by England Lions and so are unavailable for this fixture, whilst Tom Clark and Brad Currie both miss out through injury.

Men's Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Carter, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Hunt, Lamb, Leaning, Mills (c), Price, Simpson (wk), Thomas, Ward

Meanwhile, Alexia Walker has picked a 12-player squad for her team's respective fixture at Hove, with Sophie Beck and Phoebe Wilkinson, Darcey Clarke coming in for Shristi Patil, Kali-Ann Docherty and Nancy Harman.

Women's Squad: Adams (wk), Beck, Clarke, Collis, Green (c), Johnson, Lewis, Mullins, O'Neill, Stanley, Tulloch, Wilkinson

The Opposition | Leicestershire Foxes

Alfonso Thomas' Foxes head to Hove with an identical record to that of the Sharks: one win, three defeats. 

Similarly rooted to the bottom of their group after four matches, victory for either side could prove crucial as we approach the end of the opening block of Blast fixtures. Though the Foxes are within touching distance with the rest of the pack.

That lone win for the Foxes came in their previous fixture: a nail-biting two-wicket win over Lancashire Lightning that saw them chase the set target of 146 on the penultimate delivery of the match. Overseas Australian middle-order batter Ashton Turner has started well, leading his side in the run department at an average of 31.

Meanwhile, with the ball, Josh Davey and Ben Green have been the most effective: taking five wickets apiece, with the former averaging just 14.20.

Leicestershire Foxes Women

Having played a game fewer than the Sharks, the Foxes arrive into Friday's fixture with one win and one defeat. That victory came in convincing style against Middlesex Women - captain Ellen Watson seeing the Foxes home with a quickfire 28 from 25 deliveries. They've got talent in the batting lineup, and in the bowling department. Emma Thatcher was electric with the ball in the opening match of the T20 campaign, taking four wickets for just 18 runs.

Previous Encounters

This is the first meeting between the Sharks and the Foxes in T20 cricket, with this fixture arising following the ECB's decision to change the format from two groups of nine to three groups of six, as every county will face two teams from different groups.

How to Watch

You can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Centre (on our website). You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard. 

The women's match gets underway at 3pm, with the men's match commencing in the evening, at 7pm. 

Tickets

Tickets for this Friday Doubleheader can be purchased here.