Weekly briefing: June 5th

At the end of another busy seven days at Sussex Cricket, catch up with all the news you might have missed...

Auction items donated by Sussex Cricket have so far raised £5,000 for local charities

Items donated by Sussex Cricket to the 'Together Through This Test' auction have so far raised just over £5,000. 

The auction, which began on 22 May and continues until 14 June, has seen the ECB and all 18 first-class counties come together to raise money for local charities across England and Wales during these testing times. To bid on the items, click here. 

Sussex Cricket join #raisethebat campaign

Sussex Cricket has joined the #raisethebat campaign, which highlights key workers from the world of cricket who have helped to support their local community during COVID-19.

Key workers who have been nominated by their cricket clubs will be featured on over 300 billboards across England and Wales. Meanwhile the whole cricket family has been asked to shine a light on the many more key workers who deserve recognition by using #raisethebat on social media. Click here to find out more.

County professionals agree a further voluntary package to support first-class game

The Professional Cricketers’ Association announces the collective player agreement that saw all county players agree a support package to protect the domestic game has been extended to the end of July.

Discussions between the PCA and 18 first-class counties reached a conclusion over the weekend, which will see maximum reductions in player remuneration capped at 20% for June and July. Players moved swiftly at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic to support their counties with an agreement for April and May that saw all players agreeing to being furloughed if requested, reductions to player salaries and relinquishing of domestic prize money.

Read the full article here.

Luke Wright's five T20 centuries for Sussex

Over what should have been our scheduled 2020 Vitality Blast campaign, 1st Central are putting the Sharks in the spotlight. Up first, it's Luke Wright.

Last summer, the Sharks skipper became the leading run-scorer in the history of English domestic T20 cricket with 4,087 runs to his name, he has made more than 50 runs in an innings on 29 occasions, which is more than anyone else, and his top-score of 153 not out is the third-highest individual score in domestic T20 cricket.

In total, the 35-year-old has scored five centuries for the Sussex, and we looked back on them here. 

Nominations for The Cricketer's Lockdown Heroes awards open

The Cricketer has launched a series of awards designed to recognise the feats of compassion, generosity and creativity among the cricket community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nominations for Lockdown Heroes opened on June 1, giving clubs, players, fans, followers, coaches, teachers, parents and administrators across the country the chance to celebrate those who have made a real difference over the course of the past 10 weeks. Click here to find out more. 

Travis Head's Sussex contract deferred until 2021

Sussex Cricket and Travis Head have agreed to defer his overseas contract from the 2020 season to the 2021 season in light of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding this year’s domestic cricket season.

Head, who has worked under Sussex head coach, Jason Gillespie at Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash, will be available for all formats upon his arrival next year.

Gillespie said: “We are delighted to announce that Travis has committed to us for next year." Read the full story here. 

How well do you know Luke Wright?

As part of Luke Wright week with 1st Central, we also wanted to test your knowledge on the Sharks skipper!

Can you remember when he joined Sussex? What's his highest T20 score for the club? Try the full quiz here. 

We want to hear about your favourite Sussex memories

Have you been coming to the County Ground in Hove for as long as you can remember? Perhaps you've been to the ground whilst it's had several different names? Well now, in partnership with our current ground sponsor 1st Central, Sussex Cricket are launching 'My Sussex Story'. 

We are asking for supporters to tell us why they support the famous Sussex by the Sea and share their greatest memories, and players of the club, with us. 

Click here to submit your Sussex story.

Former Sussex player, Keith Newell takes on Trust challenge

Keith Newell has taken on the #charity10for10 in aid of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust almost two years after he revealed his family’s story and the support he has received from the players’ charity.

The former Sussex and Glamorgan all-rounder has raised the bar by cycling and then running 10km with daughter Jessica, who suffers from a life-limiting form of Mitochondrial Disease. Read more about his fundraising efforts here.

Gillespie: "We'll endeavour to have Travis Head as a long-term player"

Following the news that Travis Head's contract with Sussex has been deferred until 2021, head coach, Jason Gillespie spoke to BBC Radio Sussex reporter, Adrian Harms. 

Head, who has worked with Dizzy at Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash, will be available for all formats upon his arrival next year.

As well as speaking about his hopes of forming a long-term connection between Head and Sussex Cricket, Gillespie also discussed the club's players called-up by England and how he is keeping in contact with the rest of the squad. Click here to listen. 

Watch 'A spin masterclass' with Mushtag Ahmed, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann

The second of our Sussex Cricket Pathway webinars was shown ‘live’ on Thursday night, with Academy Director, Richard Halsall talking to Mushtaq Ahmed, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann.

The trio discussed the art of spin bowling, and gave their tips to the next generation of Sussex bowlers, in a pre-recorded interview.

Sussex legends, Ahmed and Prior also discussed their time playing at Hove together, while Swann talked about his England career, and much more. Click here to watch the fantastic webinar.