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.

Sussex Cricket has agreed a new multi-year partnership with Thatchers, the family-owned cider maker.

This new partnership will see Thatchers take over the North Bar at The County Ground, whilst their famous ciders will be available throughout the ground, including the Sixes bar.

Thatchers will also deliver a number of fan engagement activities throughout the term of this partnership, including an exciting fan-led activation to take place during the break between innings at this summer’s Vitality T20 Blast fixtures at Hove.

The Somerset-based cider makers already boast an impressive portfolio of partnerships in cricket, including agreements with their home county and Gloucestershire Cricket.

As well as Thatchers Gold on draught, fans can also enjoy Thatchers’ innovative fusion pumps at The County Ground, providing a choice of three different fruit flavoured ciders from one tap; Blood Orange, Cloudy Lemon or Apple & Blackcurrant.

Sussex Cricket Interim Chief Executive Mark West said: “We’re delighted to welcome Thatchers to Sussex Cricket as our latest commercial partner. Thatchers have a fantastic track record of delivering great fun and value to sports fans through their various partnerships, and we’re excited to be working with them on some nice surprises for Sussex supporters this season.”

Ruby Cahill, Thatchers Cider said: “We’re really looking forward to supporting the Sussex Cricket fans throughout the season, bringing our refreshing cider to the renowned North Bar - making Thatchers an official Pint of the Pavillion! As well as keeping fans refreshed, we’re going to be bringing our famous Thatchers Apple Roll challenge and lots of other exciting activations across the season."

Zak Crawley's 75 helped Kent Spitfires to a seven-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in a high-scoring, if controversial, Vitality Blast game at Canterbury.

Crawley was on 53 when Sussex’s Tom Clark claimed he’d caught him off Tymal Mills in the 17th. Crawley refused to walk, was given not out by the umpires and then hit three sixes in the 18th over to take Kent to the brink of victory.

Clark had earlier made a blistering 79 from 29 deliveries, including six sixes and nine fours, but after racing to 122 for one at halfway, Sussex slowed drastically in the second half of the innings, with South African all-rounder Dian Forrester took three for 25 on his Kent debut.

Forrester then sealed a stellar debut by hitting the winning runs with 10 balls to spare, creaming Mills for four.

The visitors had made a stunning start after choosing to bat: Clark hit 22 off the fourth over, from Matt Milnes, and reached 50 off just 20 deliveries. Tom Rogers’ sixth over went for 30, leaving Sussex on 92 without loss at the end of the powerplay.

Kent’s other debutant, Bertie Foreman, struck when Clark pulled him to Tawanda Muyeye on the midwicket boundary and Forrester, claimed a wicket with his third delivery when Daniel Hughes drove him to Daniel Bell-Drummond at extra cover for 26.

Forrester’s next over was a double-wicket maiden. He got John Simpson for four, when he chipped him to Joe Denly, before he caught and bowled Tom Alsop off the next ball.

Jack Leaning blocked the hat-trick ball, but Sussex slowed to 149 for four after 15.

Milnes then got James Coles for 28, caught at backward square by Jake Lintott.

Danny Lamb did some damage in the 19th, hitting Fred Klaassen for 17 from the first four balls, but after taking a single from the fifth, Leaning pulled Klaassen to Muyeye at midwicket and was caught for 30. And when Milnes limited Sussex to just four off the last over it felt like the hosts had given themselves a chance.

They suffered a blow when Muyeye fell for 26 at the end of the fourth, caught and bowled by Henry Crocombe.

Daniel Bell-Drummond was on 27 when he was hit on the shoulder by a violent Crawley drive and although he was cleared to continue, he’d added just two more when he miscued Danny Briggs to Tymal Mills at backward point.

Crawley rode his luck at times. Simpson missed the chance to stump him off Lamb when he was on nine but Fynn Hudson-Prentice then got Sam Billings for 28, miscuing him to Lamb.

Alsop palmed a difficult chance to catch Crawley over the boundary for six when he was on 42 and he took a single from Briggs to pass 50.

Kent needed 40 from the last four but controversy flared in the 17th when Crawley pulled Mills to Clark at midwicket. Sussex claimed the catch but Crawley, who was on 53, stood his ground and the umpires gave him the benefit of the doubt.

He was booed by Sussex supporters when he then smashed Lamb back over his head for six, but any abuse was drowned out by cheers when he then smashed Lamb over cow corner for another maximum, before hitting him for another six straight back over his head.

Suddenly Kent only needed two from the last two overs and Forrester obliged by pulling Mills through for four.

Lancashire & Sussex Battle out Entertaining Draw

On Saturday 23rd May Sussex Visually Impaired XI (VI Sharks) made the long trip to Manchester for both teams first league outing of the new season. The cup fixture at this venue last year had gone down to the final ball with over 600 runs scored in 60 overs so a high scoring close encounter was expected.

Lancashire won the toss and had no hesitation in asking the Sharks to have a bat. The innings started briskly with Dave Daniels (18) knocking the ball around nicely before being bowled by Shoaib Nazir (2-46). His opening partner Mark Bond had earlier been forced to leave the field after spraining an ankle on the edge of the astroturf wicket. This brought together Si Ledwith (51) and Dan Field (58) together who drove the Sussex innings forwards although the usually rapid Dan Field was also troubled by an ankle injury. Cameos from the late order pushed the Sharks score on to 237-6 in the 35th over before Dan called time on the Sharks innings. Shazab Haider was perhaps the pick of the Lions bowlers with 2-63 off a 10 over spell.

In reply It was clear that Shahab had plenty in the tank despite his long bowling spell and attacked the Sharks mercilessly from ball 1, his innings of 92 off 50 balls was remarkable with 13 x 4's and 2 x 6's one of these a monsterous reverse sweep off of a no ball which will live long in the memory. At the other end the Lancashire batters had a clear mission to just get Shahzab back on strike. When Shahzab was bowled by Deacon Finn (2-28) with the score on 124 any hopes of the win perished. With wickets falling Will Pammenters battling 24 off 47 balls looked to have made things safe for his side until he skied a delivery that was well caught leaving Lancashire on 154-8, four balls to survive for the draw which they managed without further incident or accident. Phil Daniels 3-19 off 8 overs were the pick of the Sharks attack but the innings had belonged to Shahzab Naiter.

The teams must wait just 2-weeks before they meet again, twice in one weekend. They contest the QF of the BCEW Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Memorial Cup on Saturday 6th June and then the QF of the David Townley T20 Cup on the Sunday. Both games to be played in Sussex at Bedes Senior School, start times 1pm and 12 noon respectively.

For a full scorecard and statistics from the match, please visit the BCEW Play-Cricket site here.

Canterbury is the destination for both our Men's and Women's sides on Bank Holiday Monday as they take on Kent Spitfires in a Vitality Blast Doubleheader.

It was a mixed start for our Men and Women in Friday's Vitality Blast opener at Essex and Derbyshire respectively, with the former getting off to a scorching start at a sun-kissed Chelmsford. It was the perfect start to Paul Farbrace's side - a victory that saw the Sharks chase down the target of 192 with four overs to spare. 

It was a fine showing with the bat, chiefly through James Coles and John Simpson, who both recorded half-centuries. Simpson's explosive total of 63 (23) featured a remarkable eight sixes, as the Sharks wiped away the two-point deduction at the earliest possibility.

Hours before this, it was Alexia Walker's Sharks Blast opener up in Derby. A tight affair, Sussex's struggles began early into the match having been reduced to 15-3 after 3.1 overs, yet Mollie Adams and Eve O'Neill fought hard to produce a competitive total of 114-8.

It wasn't to be enough, though, as the host's strong start saw the foundations laid for a win with five balls to spare. But it's swiftly onto Kent to see if they can put things right and earn that first win of the campaign.

Team News

Paul Farbrace has named a 15-player squad for the trip to Canterbury, with Oli Carter the lone addition to Friday's squad.

Men's Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Currie, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Lamb, Leaning, Mills (c), Simpson (wk), Ward

Meanwhile, Alexia Walker has picked a 13-player squad for her team's respective fixture at St Lawrence Ground, with Sophie Beck coming in for Anna Buckle, who suffered a dislocated thumb in the previous outing at Derbyshire

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

The Opposition | Kent Spitfires

It was an equally impressive start for the Spitfires on Friday at Lord's, who also recorded victory on the opening day of the tournament. Sam Billings batted beautifully, blasting 84 runs off a mere 37 deliveries to help hand Kent a total of 208-6 from their 20 overs. And they bowled well enough to seal a comfortable 27-run win in the end, with overseas quick Tom Rogers picking up four wickets.

South African all-rounder Dian Forrester travelled to the UK as soon as Chennai Super Kings’ involvement in the IPL finished this past Thursday, and will be pushing for a first appearance having been a spectator at Lord's. He is added to an an otherwise unchanged squad from the one that defeated Middlesex last time out, with loanee Jake Lintott debuting on Friday, and claiming two wickets.

Former Sussex off-spinning all-rounder, Bertie Foreman, signed a two-month contract with Kent that runs until the end of the Vitality Blast, and is included in Adam Hollioake's 15-player squad.

Kent Women

For Kent Women, their opening fixture - also at Lord's as part of a doubleheader - didn't quite harvest the same outcome as the Men's team, as they suffered a 106-run defeat to Middlesex having been bowled out for just 54 as they chased a target of 161. 

Sussex have already faced Kent this season in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, losing by a six wicket margin following a sensational innings from opener Coco Streets (104*). Kent finished fourth in last year's Vitality Blast Women League Two, finishing eight points behind the Sharks as they similarly seek a first win in the competition this year on Bank Holiday Monday.

Previous Encounters

Last year produced further excitement to a T20 fixture that seemingly always provides entertainment. 

Danny Lamb took a magnificent five-wicket haul in last year's win at Canterbury, before Kent's Joey Evison produced a game-winning 48* (24) in the return fixture to severely dent Sussex's chances of qualification. In the end, that defeat proved pivotal as the Spitfires sneaked through on the final day after Sharks' defeat at home to Surrey.

The two sides have met in the Blast on 38 occasions, with Kent winning 18 of those matches, one ahead of Sussex's 17 victories. The Sharks have had the upper hand in recent years, with Kent's win at Hove last year putting a stop a four-game win streak for Sussex.

There have been two no results, and one tie.

How to Watch

As always, you can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Day Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard. 

The women's match gets underway tomorrow at 10.30am, with the men's match commencing in the afternoon, at 3,30pm. 

Tickets

Tickets for this Bank Holiday Monday Doubleheader can be purchased here.

By Martin Smith at Chelmsford, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Sussex Sharks (192-4) beat Essex (191-5) by six wickets

John Simpson hurried Sussex Sharks to an opening-day Vitality Blast success with eight sixes in a whirlwind 63 from 23 balls against Essex.

The wicketkeeper-batsman dealt almost exclusively in maximums – he only hit one four – as he flayed the Essex attack to all parts of Chelmsford in a ferocious one-man pyrotechnic display. He put on 82 with James Coles for the third wicket in five-and-a-half overs to help Sussex towards their target with 24 balls and six wickets to spare. Coles’s own half-century was almost overshowed.

For Essex it was another chastening T20 evening. They won just three games when finishing bottom of the south group last year, and this performance did not augur well for an improvement this time around.

Daniel Hughes lay the foundations for the Sharks to chase down 192 with a hard-hitting 44, but it was Simpson who inflicted the damage, starting with a six off the first ball he faced.

Michael Pepper and Paul Walter put on 105 from 62 balls for the first Essex wicket, both batsmen reaching fifties, but apart from a whirlwind 36 at a strike-rate of 200 by Luc Benkenstein, Essex’s 191-5 looked slightly undercooked. And so it proved.

Essex, put in on a green wicket, reached 53 without loss in a powerplay they did not quite dominate. However, the gloves came off when the Sussex spinners were introduced with Walter leaning back and skying Danny Briggs for six over long-on and Pepper launching James Coles over deep midwicket’s head for a maximum. The two slow bowlers would go for 72 from a combined seven overs, but shared three of the five wickets to fall.

The innings exploded briefly in the 10th over with three sixes off Brad Currie, two of them to Pepper, who reached his half-century from 33 balls. However, Danny Lamb ended the onslaught when he bowled Pepper, who was attempting a reverse sweep.

Walter followed Pepper to fifty with a lofted, straight-driven four from his 30th ball. But he lost Matt Critchley soon after, picking out long-off. Walter himself went in similar fashion, caught at long-on, and Wiaan Mulder holed out on the midwicket boundary.

Benkenstein, however, had Briggs’s measure with three sixes down the ground, two in one over. He sent a fourth over Coles’s head, but next ball played over one that angled in and lost his middle and leg stumps.

Sussex lost Tom Clark early on, chipping Charlie Bennett to mid-on the ball after easing him over long-off for six. It did not seriously derailed Sussex as Hughes rattled off boundaries at a rate of almost two runs a ball, and Coles lofted Zaman Akhter for a straight six. They had knocked off 79 of the target by the end of their powerplay.

However, with 10 boundaries to his name, Hughes tried to reach his fifty with a six but was caught at long-off.

John Simpson showed him how to do it to his first ball. Simpson evidently wanted an early night as he  added a second maximum in only four balls faced with two more following before his innings was a dozen balls old. A fifth was pulled high over square leg to bring up the fifty partnership in just 24 balls.

Maximum No7, driven straight marked his own half-century from just 18 balls. Five balls later he departed, caught predictably in the deep with just 30 needed for victory. Coles exited with just two runs required for 50 from 29 balls.

Foundation Delivers Record-Breaking Weekend for Disability Cricket

Sussex Cricket Foundation (SCF) has delivered a landmark weekend for Disability Cricket, welcoming record participation and showcasing inclusive sport at its very best. The celebrations reinforced Sussex’s growing reputation as a national leader in accessibility, participation and performance across the game.

At the centre of the weekend was the hugely successful DIScoverABILITY Day, which attracted more than 750 registered participants from across Sussex and beyond. Over 45 schools, colleges and charitable organisations came together to create a vibrant and inclusive environment where people of all ages and abilities could engage with sport.

The event was made possible through collaboration with nine specialist sports partners, offering participants a wide range of adaptive activities. Partners included Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation, JOLF, Brighton Table Tennis Club, Sight Support Worthing, Sussex VI Sharks, the UK Wheelchair Cricket Association, WBC Cares UK - Adaptive Boxing and Defiant Sports, alongside West Sussex-based organisations; ensuring there was something for everyone, regardless of ability or experience.

A key feature of the day was the contribution of people behind the scenes. 70 young leaders from Sussex state schools and played a vital role in delivering sessions, supported by over 50 volunteers from local businesses, community organisations and the wider Sussex Cricket network.

The impact of the day was reflected in the feedback from visiting schools. A teacher from Saxon Mount School said: “Can I say a big thank you from Saxon Mount School - we had over 55 pupils and staff who visited Discoverability last Friday - it is a highlight of our school year. It must take a huge amount of organisation but was smooth and easy getting into and out of the ground. This year, we got to meet Sandy and Sid - a bonus. Thank you to all the people who ran the sessions and coached - it was another good visit.”

The weekend also celebrated performance cricket, with The County Ground hosting a competitive Mixed Disability 1st XI fixture against Hampshire. The match was live streamed, allowing audiences further afield to experience the quality and spirit of Disability Cricket.

Players enjoyed a full elite matchday experience, including access to the first team changing rooms, support from Sussex Cricket’s performance analysis team led by Luke Dunning, the unveiling of new match shirts, and a special capping ceremony conducted by John Barclay, in honour of newly appointed Mixed Disability Pathway Club Captain, James Bunday. SCF also paid tribute to match officials, volunteers, ground staff and stewards, while thanking Hampshire for their sportsmanship and contribution to an excellent contest.

Reflecting on the weekend, Tom Belcher, Disability Cricket Manager at Sussex Cricket Foundation said; 

“The collective efforts of players, families, volunteers, coaches and staff has been incredible. This weekend truly highlights the shared commitment to driving Disability Cricket forward across the county and beyond.”

SCF now supports more than 1,000 children, young people and adults through a comprehensive programme that spans grassroots and elite pathways. Provision includes SEND school programmes, Super 1s hubs, Disability Champion Clubs, Mixed Disability Super 9s (Soft ball) & D40 (Hard ball) and Visually Impaired performance pathways.

The success of the weekend was further underpinned by the continued support of key partners, with special thanks paid to Webtrends Optimize for its ongoing sponsorship.

As Disability Cricket in Sussex continues to grow, the Foundation remains focused on breaking down barriers, creating high-quality opportunities and ensuring everyone has the chance to take part, compete and thrive in the game.

To find out more about the work of the Sussex Cricket Foundation please visit their website here. A video from this year’s DIScoverABILITY Day can be found below.

Well, here we go again. Another Vitality Blast campaign arrives with Tymal Mills' Sharks looking to right the wrongs from a previous campaign that saw them narrowly miss out on a quarter-final spot. 

And it's off to Chelmsford for the T20 opener: a ground that has, in years gone by, produced some classic matches between the two sides. 

Sussex will begin this Blast campaign with a two point deduction following the ECB's ruling in the winter, and as a result were only able to have one overseas player for this tournament: Australian opener, Dan Hughes. There's no Nathan McAndrew this year, but former Sussex player, Danny Briggs, returns as a potentially crucial spin option for Paul Farbrace's side. 

"The ambition is to win", explained Mills in his recent interview. A positive beginning to the two away games to start this now reduced tournament, with a trip to Kent on Monday following Friday, will potentially prove pivotal if that ambition is to become reality.

The Opposition 

Under the captaincy of Simon Harmer, Essex will be looking for an improved captain this time around after finishing bottom of the South Group in 2025. Despite this, they were victorious over the Sharks at Essex and, barring the Hove rain, would've likely made it a double over the Sharks with Jordan Cox outstanding for the visitors.

Last season, it was the bat of Michael Pepper that harvested the most runs for Essex (364), while Mohammad Amir claimed 20 wickets with the ball. With wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Rossington not re-engaged after his T20-only contract did not work out, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder is the only addition to Essex’s Vitality Blast squad. 

Mulder’s most recent international T20 caps came as recently as March in New Zealand, and with approaching 150 appearances in the format, he will look to prove an asset in the early matches. Cox topped the Essex batting averages last season – 10 runs ahead of anyone else – and scored a memorable century against Hampshire. A dangerous player on his day.

Previous Encounters

The two sides have met on 38 occasions in T20 history, with the first encounter taking place back in 2003.

Essex narrowly edge the head-to-head record with 19 victories, with Sussex winning 18. One game was a no result, which occurred last season at Hove as the rain came to the host's aid.

Essex have had the upper hand in recent years, with Sussex winning just one of the previous eight meetings between the sides.

Team News

Farbrace has named a 14-player squad for tomorrow's match in Chelmsford, with Tom Alsop making a first squad appearance of the season. White ball specialists, Brad Currie and Harrison Ward, also feature. Farbrace said in his interview following Day 4 at Somerset that seamer Ollie Robinson will be handed a break.

Jack Leaning has settled into Sussex swiftly in the red ball game, and he'll be pushing for a first Blast start as a Shark. 

Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Currie, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Lamb, Leaning, Mills*, Simpson (wk), Ward

Start Time

Tomorrow's fixture will commence at 7pm, with this the second match of a doubleheader. Essex Women will be hosting Warwickshire Bears Women at 2pm, with a match ticket allowing access to both games.

How to Watch

You will be able to watch every ball, free of charge, of the Essex clash via our Match Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard. 

Ticket Information

Tickets are still available for tomorrow's encounter in Essex, and can be bought via Essex's official website.

Sussex Sharks Women commence their Vitality Blast campaign tomorrow (Friday, 22 May) as they make the trip up to The Central Co-op County Ground to take on Derbyshire Falcons.

It was a positive campaign for Alexia Walker's side last year, winning four and losing four of their eight group games as they narrowly missed out on a place in a semi-final. Derbyshire were not in Sussex's group last year but, after a reshuffle, the two sides will meet - with tomorrow's hosts looking to build on a tricky outing in the competition last time out.

For the Sharks there is reason to be positive: a strong start in this year's Metro Bank One Day Cup will hope to be transferred over to the Blast, with an impressive victory at Northamptonshire by a 76-run margin the side's previous outing.

Team News

Squad: Mollie Adams, Anna Buckle, Darcey Clarke, Izzy Collis, Kali-Ann Docherty, Indigo Gentry, Chiara Green (c), Bella Johnson, Anna Lewis, Faye Mullins, Eve O’Neill, Shristi Patil, Phoebe Wilkinson

The Opposition

Two victories were recorded from Derbyshire's eight group games in last season's Blast in a challenging campaign for Head Coach, Jon Dyson. They'll look for an improved season this time around, though it has already been a tough start to their 2026 outing in the One Day Cup, having lost all three of their matches.

How to Watch

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

The action gets underway at 2.30pm on Friday.