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

James Coles carried Sussex to the brink of victory with an all-round performance that leaves them requiring just three wickets on the final day at Chelmsford while Essex need another 132 runs to pull off an unlikely victory.

The 22-year-old, who bats right-handed and spins the ball with his left, showed just why England had called him into the white-ball squad to play three T20 games against Sri Lanka later this month.

He rediscovered his batting touch with a battling 79 and then continued his sorcery with the ball. His 3-7 in seven overs in Essex’s first innings had been overshadowed by Henry Crocombe’s hat-trick, but he re-emerged into the limelight to finish day three of the Rothesay County Championship match with figures of 3-65. When bad light stopped play with four overs remaining, Matt Critchley had almost single-handedly defied Sussex for more than two hours with an unbeaten 63 from 82 balls.

Coles the batsman had been instrumental in helping Sussex set Essex the daunting target of 329 to win in four-and-a-half sessions. Zaman Akhter had wrapped up the last four Sussex wickets to finish with his best figures for Essex of 4-51. At the other end, Simon Harmer chipped in with 4-96, including three wickets in 15 balls, the first and second separated by a night’s sleep.

Coles then came out and opened the bowling. With his 11th delivery he had Paul Walter snaffled at short leg off a mistimed hoick.

Sussex could afford to set wide open, attacking fields and Dean Elgar and Tom Westley capitalised with a flurry of boundaries. But when the pair had plundered 66 runs inside

11 overs, Henry Crocombe revived memories of his first-innings hat-trick by knocking Elgar’s off-stump out of the ground.

Westley tried to reverse-sweep Jack Carson for a third time but only top-edged through to the wicketkeeper and Essex’s top three had departed within 16 overs with 250 runs still needed.

Charlie Allison and Matt Critchley reduced the arrears by 71 in a fourth-wicket stand liberally decorated with boundaries. Allison had been calmly controlled in his hitting even when he launched successive sixes over Carson’s head and to long-on. But two balls after the second, he dragged the spinner to a diving midwicket.

Harmer kept Critchley company for 13 overs before edging Ari Karvelas to slip. That brought in Michael Pepper, who was nursing a badly bruised thumb which had prevented him keeping wicket earlier in the day. But he lasted just 13 balls before Coles got a ball to turn sharply and disturb off-stump. Coles had a third wicket when Akhter was trapped in his crease for a pair

There had been almost as much drama off the field as there was on it earlier in the morning. Essex’s deepening injury crisis, with Pepper joining the list overnight, led Essex to sign George Bell from Lancashire on an emergency loan to the end of the season. He was straight into action behind the stumps but was not eligible to bat.

Back on the field, Harmer struck with the 12th and 14th balls of the day after a delayed start due to rain. John Simpson fell lbw attempting an injudicious sweep and Jack Leaning prodded forward with the ball popping up to short leg.

Carson attempted to disrupt Harmer’s rhythm and three times bounced down the wicket and lofted him down the ground, twice for sixes and once for four. His seventh-wicket stand with Coles put on 63 runs in just 11 overs before he was the first of Akhter’s wickets, lbw playing around a delivery.

Coles reached fifty by hooking Akhter for his seventh boundary, but the bowler hit back when Dom Goodman nudged an inswinger for Bell’s first entry on the scorecard. Ari Karvelas swung his bat lustily as he had in the first innings but departed when a full-bloodied drive was well held at mid-on. And Coles finally departed after a 125-ball stay to a catch on the long-on boundary.

The England Men selectors have named two 16-player squads for the upcoming Vitality IT20 and Metro Bank ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Uncapped seamer Henry Crocombe - who has taken hat-tricks in back-to-back County Championship matches - has been selected for the Metro Bank ODI Series.

Jofra Archer has also been named in England's ODI squad to take on Sri Lanka, with the bowler also featuring in the Men's T20 squad alongside Sussex's James Coles.

The squads are as follows:

England Men’s T20 squad – 16 players:
 

Harry Brook (Yorkshire – captain)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
James Coles (Sussex)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Aneurin Donald (Derbyshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)

England Men’s ODI squad – 16 players:

Harry Brook (Yorkshire – captain)
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Henry Crocombe (Sussex)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)

Marcus North, England Men's National Selector, said: “Aneurin Donald and Henry Crocombe are two promising players who have earned their places on the back of impressive performances in domestic cricket.

“Aneurin has had an exceptional season for Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast and also with Trent Rockets in The Hundred while Henry is a player we have had an eye on all summer.”

England Men’s Vitality white-ball series v Sri Lanka schedule:

1st Vitality IT20: Tuesday 15 September, Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 6.30pm start
2nd Vitality IT20: Thursday 17 September, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 6.30pm start
3rd Vitality IT20: Saturday 19 September, Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, 2.30pm start
1st Metro Bank ODI: Tuesday 22 September, Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 12.30pm start
2nd Metro Bank ODI: Thursday 24 September, Headingley, Leeds, 12.30pm start
3rd Metro Bank ODI: Sunday 27 September, The Kia Oval, London, 10.30am start
ends

Henry Crocombe claimed his second hat-trick in eight days, and third five-wicket haul of the season, to leave Essex’s batting in total disarray on an incredible evening of tumbling wickets at Chelmsford.

The 24-year-old seamer, who leaves Sussex for Surrey at the end of the season, had never taken three wickets in successive balls in his life before running through Somerset’s tail at Hove last week. For an encore he helped reduce Essex from 171-3 to 177 all out in the space of 26 balls, his five wickets coming in 14 deliveries without conceding a run. He finished with 5-39.

Essex had been progressing serenely after tea on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship match when Charlie Allison became Crocombe’s first victim after a tidy 56. That wicket exposed the tender underbelly of Essex’s batting and revived fears of a battle against relegation in the run-in to the Division One season.

The collapse gave Sussex an unexpected first-innings lead of 98 after they had taken their score to 275 in the morning thanks largely to the re-engaged Ari Karvelas thrashing six fours in a breezy 38 from 44 balls. However, they lost Tom Haines, Tom Clark, Charlie Tear and Oli Carter second time round in extending their advantage to 188 as 11 wickets fell after tea.

Karvelas was not finished when he was last man out in Sussex’s first innings and, taking the new-ball, separated the Essex opening pair with an angled a delivery into Paul Walter’s stumps. Tom Westley then had a rush or blood and in attempting to heave Jack Carson over midwicket was also bowled.

With the sun breaking through and a drying wind, the wicket flattened out and batting seemed to be becoming easier than on day one. At that stage there was no hint of what was to come. Indeed, Essex reached three figures for two wickets down in 32 overs, 12 quicker than Sussex, the milestone reached with a reverse sweep for four by Allison off Carson.

Allison contributed 38 of a 58-run stand with Dean Elgar before James Coles found extravagant turn with his third ball to bowl Elgar.

Allison’s eighth boundary, a drive off Tom Haines, took him to fifty from 60 balls, but he became bogged down, adding only six more from a further 26 balls before he was lbw playing around one from Crocombe.

Then came the carnage. Almost immediately Michael Pepper attempted to sweep Coles and went lbw. Then Crocombe took centre stage. Simon Harmer and Zaman Akhter were both trapped lbw to the first two balls of Crocombe’s ninth over before Shane Snater played over the third and lost his leg stump.

Mitch Killeen had been recalled from a loan spell with Gloucestershire to replace Sam Cook, who was called up by England mid-match. Killeen lasted seven balls before he stepped back to try and cut Coles and was bowled. And it wasn’t long before Jamie Porter became the sixth player to lose his stumps in the innings, wicket No5 for a rampant Crocombe.

Essex took an hour to wrap up the last three Sussex wickets despite Cook removing Dom Goodman playing down the wrong line to the first ball of the morning. That only brought in Karvelas to help Sussex add 62 runs and claim a batting point.

Karvelas was playing a first-class game for the first time in a year after being released by the club. The South African seamer has since worked as a coach in the Sussex Academy and been re-signed on a short-term contract to cover injuries and England call-ups.

Jack Leaning put on 36 for the ninth wicket with Karvelas before falling to another catch behind off Akhter for a 110-ball 60. Karvelas was finally out when he edged Porter to give Pepper a fifth catch in the innings and Porter his 600th first-class wicket in figures of 4-44.

Sussex Cricket will mark John Wisden’s bicentenary during the Rothesay County Championship match vs Surrey on September 8th, with a host of activities planned to mark 200 years since Wisden was born at Crown Street, Brighton on September 5, 1826.

Wisden made his debut for Sussex in 1845, where he took six wickets in his first innings as a fast roundarm bowler. He played for the club until 1863, scoring 2,234 runs and taking 344 wickets. Outside of his playing career, Wisden was a pioneer and successful entrepreneur who launched ‘The Cricketer’s Almanack’ from his sports and cigar shop in London’s West End. Published annually since 1864, it is the longest-running sports annual in the world and often seen as the Bible of Cricket.

To mark the occasion, Sussex Cricket will decorate its digital channels and website to honour John Wisden, these will be live from 5th September until the conclusion of the Surrey match - with squad announcements, score milestones and team graphics also being updated. 

When Sussex Cricket face Surrey on September 8th, the first 200 supporters through the gates will be presented with a limited edition Sussex Cricket and Wisden branded umbrella to mark the bicentenary of Wisden’s birth, with further surprises confirmed for the day.

Wisden’s patented ‘Catapulta’, which is believed to be the world’s first bowling machine, will be exhibited at The County Ground for attendees to see - just one of many exciting initiatives being planned by the free-to-attend Sussex Cricket Museum.

Everyone planning on attending is encouraged to wear yellow to tie in with the Almanack’s signature yellow look. All fans will receive a commemorative Wisden & Sussex Cricket scorecard mark the occasion, while attendees will receive exclusive discount codes to purchase ‘The Cricketer’s Almanack’, with up to 50% savings on RRP.

Those wishing to attend the celebrations are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance online, to avoid paying £5 more per ticket on the gate.

Local school children will be invited to learn about John Wisden, his work and history in Sussex. The club will also make its interactive nets at the Sixes venue free to use on the day, giving them an interactive cricket-themed experience. 

Delegates from Wisden will also be in attendance; its Editor, Lawrence Booth, Co-Editor, Hugh Chevallier and Publisher, Chris Lane will join the celebrations. Track Radio Presenter, Mark Pougatch will broadcast live from the east boundary, with contributions from key stakeholders from Wisden and Sussex Cricket featuring on his show.

Shaun Simmonds, Marketing Manager at Sussex Cricket, added: “John Wisden is an iconic figure in cricket, a name recognised globally, and someone who will always be kindly remembered in Sussex. We’re incredibly proud to be honoring the ‘little wonder’ from September 5th onwards.

“We have a lot planned for the Rothesay County Championship match vs Surrey on September 8th and are looking forward to having our supporters and members join in on the fun. We encourage everyone to wear yellow for the day, and we’ll be giving away 200 special edition umbrellas, as well as unique Wisden x Sussex Cricket scorecards on the day, so all cricket fans can take part in this historic celebration and hopefully enjoy a fantastic day of cricket, too.”

Sussex Seniors: 60+ National Finals Round-Up

60+ 1st XI National Vase Final: Sussex v Yorkshire Ridings

Sussex travelled to Cropredy CC, near Banbury, to face Yorkshire Ridings in The Seniors County Championship 60+ 1st XI Vase Final. Beneath shifting cloud and bursts of sunshine, captain Tim Peters won the toss and asked Yorkshire to bat on the greenest pitch Sussex had encountered for three months, with a slow, uneven outfield adding to the challenge.

Sussex’s opening bowlers again set the tone. Rob Rydon provided the pace, while Andy Hill (1–22) proved exceptionallydifficult to score from. Yorkshire began to accelerate through the middle overs, but timely wickets from Ian Jones (2–57) and Rydon, who returned for a productive second spell to finish with 2–40, kept the innings in check. Yorkshire’s 214 may have looked modest beside recent totals, but the early-autumn conditions suggested otherwise.

Sussex began the chase with composure, Gordon Morgan and Martyn Ford (46) adding 67 for the first wicket at a healthy rate. Morgan was well caught at mid-off before Scott Stratton was run out by a direct hit at the striker’s end while attempting a quick single to point - a rare sight in Seniors Cricket. Accurate slow bowling, aided by low bounce and a lack of pace in the pitch, then brought wickets at regular intervals. At 130–6 with 14 overs remaining, the outlook was gloomy both overhead and in the Sussex dressing room.

Hill had already bowled his nine overs unchanged and might reasonably have thought his work was done. Instead, batting at No. 8, he struck a spirited 43 and ran tirelessly alongside Mick Webb, who’s unbeaten 34 was a model of calm under pressure. Their partnership carried Sussex to the brink of a remarkable victory.

With 11 required from the final over, Hill was stumped from the fifth ball while attempting the winning blow. Peters therefore needed six from the last delivery in a match that had produced only one maximum all afternoon. The pitch had the final say: the ball barely bounced, and the resulting single left Sussex agonisingly four runs short.

It was a thrilling contest and a heart-warming occasion, with two excellent sides embodying the true Spirit of Cricket.

There was, however, still cause for Sussex celebration: on the adjacent pitch, the 60+ 3rd XI were contesting their own national final.

View the full scorecard.

60+ 3rd XI National Cup Final: Sussex v Wales

Sussex 60+ 3rd XI completed an unbeaten campaign by defeating Wales at Cropredy CC, Oxfordshire, to claim a record fifth national title.

The triumph repeated the previous season’s Cup Final victory over the same opponents. Sussex had also completed the league programme unbeaten, entering the knockout stage as the top seeds among the 19 competing counties.

Quarter-final

A home quarter-final against Middlesex at Barns Green CC brought a commanding nine-wicket victory. On a good batting surface with a fast outfield, the Sussex attack restricted Middlesex to 137 from their 45 overs, Steve Grant leading the way with 3–20 from nine. Russ Varney (79 not out) and Martyn Hennock (49) then shared an opening stand of 129 as Sussex raced to the target in just 23 overs.

Semi-final

The semi-final at Brighton & Hove CC provided a far sterner test. Batting first on a fine pitch and lightning-fast outfield, Oxfordshire amassed 291–6; captain Mick Brazil took three wickets and Chris Foulerton claimed two. Sussex responded with a county-record chase, reaching 296–5 in 43 overs. Martyn Brownsey led the way with an unbeaten 117, supported by Steve Grant (61) and Foulerton (44 not out).

Final

Sussex then returned to Cropredy CC, the venue of the previous year’s final, for another showdown with Wales. The Welsh openers began strongly, adding 50 inside 10 overs, but disciplined, wicket-taking bowling turned the contest. Chris Sear returned 3–35, Jez James took 3–39 and Foulerton conceded just 22 from his nine overs as Wales were restricted to 202.

The chase looked precarious at 68–3, but John Connelly (59) and Dave Ballard (56 not out) combined in a decisive 108-run fourth-wicket partnership. Their stand settled Sussex, took control of the final and laid the foundations for a memorable defence of the Cup.

A record fifth national title, an unbeaten season and a magnificent achievement for the entire squad.

View the full scorecard.

That brings The Seniors County Championship 60+ programme to a close for another season. A handful of friendlies remain over the coming weeks; until then, winter well, everyone.

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

Jamie Porter adopted the mantle of supersub when he came off the proverbial substitutes’ bench to rip through the Sussex batting at Chelmsford.

Porter, rested by Essex for this Rothesay County Championship match, was called into post-lunch action after the pacey Charlie Bennett limped off – and out of the game – with a leg injury sustained during the morning session. The limb was later described as ‘sore’ and was being assessed.

Porter struck in his fifth over on the way to taking his season’s tally to 28 wickets. His 3-32 from a dozen overs blasted a large hole in a plodding Sussex performance. Their batsmen invariably hung around for a while, but without accumulating runs at a rate higher than 2.3 an over, and then got out.

Dan Hughes underlined that with his 45 embracing 107 balls, as Essex’s seam attack of Sam Cook, Shane Snater and Zaman Akhter maintained tight lines mixed with deliveries that either took the edges of bats or just missed them. When bad light cut 10 overs off the day’s allocation, Sussex had reached 213-7 with Jack Leaning unbeaten one short of a half-century

Tom Haines’s decision to bat first on a wicket with plenty of grass left on it had looked debatable at best. The Sussex captain must have rued calling correctly when he was the first of two wickets in three balls for Cook with only seven runs on the board. Both Haines and Tom Clark were caught behind to similar inswinging deliveries, the first representing the 500th dismissal of Cook’s professional career, the second Pepper’s 200th victim.

Under heavy skies, and with the floodlights on within the first hour, play became attritional. The ball barely left the square as the Sussex third-wicket pair of Hughes and Charlie Tear took 19 overs to piece together the first fifty of their partnership.

The stand was worth 72 when Hughes drove loosely at Snater and the ball flew sharply into the slips where Simon Harmer parried it into the air for Paul Walter to complete the catch. Enter Porter, who had his first wicket when Tear dangled his bat and nicked to first slip.

James Coles’s unhappy time at the crease since his double century against Glamorgan in mid-June continued when he hung his bat out to the first ball of Akhter’s latest spell and gave Pepper his 201st scalp.

Porter was back among the wickets soon after tea when he got one to swing late and trap John Simpson lbw. Ten balls later he had Jack Carson edging to first slip.

Dom Goodman showed some attacking intent by twice lofting Matt Critchley to long-on for a six and a four in an over. Yet even with that outburst his eighth-wicket partnership with Leaning took 17 overs to post fifty for their unbroken eighth-wicket stand.

Sussex Cricket can confirm that Interim Chief Executive Mark West will leave the Club on 30 September 2026, bringing his interim tenure to a close at the end of the domestic season.

Mark stepped into the role during a particularly challenging period for Sussex Cricket and has played an important part in helping to stabilise the Club, strengthen financial controls and support the organisation through a period of significant change.

His departure comes as Sussex moves into the next phase of its leadership transition, with the search for a permanent Chief Executive now underway.

Sussex Cricket Chair Ed Warner said:

“Mark came into the Club at a very difficult time and has made an important contribution over the past year.

“He has helped bring greater stability, supported stronger financial discipline and worked hard to guide the Club through a challenging period.

“On behalf of the Board and everyone at Sussex Cricket, I would like to thank Mark for his efforts and commitment and wish him every success for the future.”

Mark West said:

“I was asked to step in as Interim Chief Executive at a difficult time for the Club and have always viewed the role as exactly that, an interim one.

“I’m proud of the progress that has been made during that period and of the part I’ve played in helping to stabilise the Club and put stronger foundations in place.

“My focus now is on helping ensure a smooth handover through September and leaving the Club in the best possible position for the next phase.”

From 1 October 2026, current Sussex Cricket non-executive director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee Alex Paterson will become Acting Chief Executive on a full-time basis until the Club’s next permanent Chief Executive takes up the role.

The recruitment process for the permanent position is being led by Executives in Sport, with interviews planned for the second half of October and the Club aiming to make an appointment shortly afterwards.

Sussex Cricket Limited will begin the process of appointing five new members of the Board from Wednesday September 2, 2026.

All eligible members and representatives from all Sussex Cricket League affiliated clubs will be contacted by email with further information. Members and affiliated clubs that are currently opted out of email correspondence will be contacted by post.

Any Members who have not received any formal notification by Wednesday 9 September can contact the club at 01273 827100 or by emailing info@sussexcricket.co.uk  

Sussex head to Chelmsford this week as they enter the final month of the Rothesay County Championship season.

Paul Farbrace's side added 12 points to their tally in Division One last week after a draw against Somerset at Hove. The contest was finely poised after a closely fought first two days, but day three's washout put any realistic chances of a result out of the question. Somerset had built a lead of just over 300 when they declared with 44 overs remaining in the match, but with Sussex just one wicket down in the evening session, and with more rain around, the teams shook hands shortly after 4.30pm.

Henry Crocombe starred in the first innings, completing his second five-wicket haul with a first career hat-trick to wrap up the Somerset innings. He still remains as Sussex's top wicket-taker, with 33 wickets to his name and is sixth for the most wickets in Division One.

Sussex remain fifth in the table, with 120 points, putting them 28 points behind the Division One leaders Nottinghamshire, and 18 points above Leicestershire in the relegation zone.

Team News

Six matches in six weeks over this last block of Rothesay County Championship matches means that Paul Farbrace is forced to rotate his seam bowlers. Jaydev Unadkat won't make the trip to Chelmsford for that reason, however Dom Goodman returns in his place.

Squad: Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Evison, Goodman, Haines, Hughes, Hunt, Karvelas, Leaning, Simpson, Tear.

The Opposition

Essex were denied victory last week by some heroics from Ben Foakes of Surrey. After the second day of the contest, Surrey were four wickets down in their second innings and still trailing by 45 runs. But, like at Hove, day three was washed out without a ball bowled. On the final day, Foakes was Surrey's hero as he scored a magnificent century to help salvage the draw.

So, Essex had to settle for 12 points as they remain one point behind Sussex, in sixth, ahead of tomorrow's clash.

Sam Cook, the Division's fourth highest wicket-taker claimed another five wickets during the clash against Surrey, taking his total to 36 for the campaign. 

Tickets

Tickets for all four days are available here.

How to Follow

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. 

Follow our social media channels for behind-the-scenes content and post-match interviews. 

Square One Launch the Sussex Cricket Foundation Indoor Cup

Square One and the Sussex Cricket Foundation have partnered to offer clubs across Sussex the opportunity to continue playing cricket throughout the winter months at Europe’s largest indoor cricket centre.

The newly unveiled Sussex Cricket Foundation Cup will offer indoor cricket for boys, girls, men and women over the winter. The competition is played across two days - a qualifying day comprising three games, followed by a finals day of three games several weeks later - with Champions crowned in each division.

The Sussex Cricket Foundation have also teamed up with Square One to run the county’s weekly leagues, which will run across two separate seasons during the off-season. Open to men, women and juniors, the leagues are ideal for players and clubs looking for competitive cricket week in, week out throughout the winter. It follows a successful first season of weekly leagues at the centre last winter.

At £10 per player, or £60 per team, entry includes umpires, live scoring and live streaming from state-of-the-art in-court cameras, with players able to follow their own statistics throughout the competition - making it the best indoor cricket product available anywhere in the country.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Director of the Sussex Cricket Foundation said: "I am delighted to be partnering with the team at Square One to provide more opportunities for players of all abilities and genders to access cricket over the winter months. These competitions will continue to help widen access to the game and provide players across Sussex with the opportunity to play in a high-class facility with top of the range technology.”

Rob Ferley, Co-Founder Square One said: “We want Square One to be a place where people can play meaningful, competitive cricket all year round. Partnering with the Sussex Cricket Foundation allows us to create more opportunities for players of every age and level, while giving clubs across Sussex access to a facility and technology that can make indoor cricket genuinely exciting.”

To enter the competitions or for more information please contact Square One Cricket Centre on 01273 113113, email support@squareoneeducation.co.uk, or visit the Square One website.