Roffey Complete League & Cup Double on Thrilling T20 Finals Day

Brighton Malayalee Association (BMA) 1st XI and Eastbourne 2nd XI also lifted silverware during the Dean Wilson Sussex Cricket League’s season-ending showpiece at Hove.

Roffey 1st XI completed a memorable Dean Wilson Sussex Cricket League and Daniel Oliver T20 Cup double as three trophies were decided at The County Ground, Hove, on Sunday 20 September.

The day began with a dramatic T20 Plate Final, as BMA 1st XI held their nerve to beat Ifield 3rd XI with just two balls remaining. Ifield set a competitive target of 171-4 after Jack Biden struck 65 from 52 deliveries and Daniel Groves added 43 from 32, with Kulbir Gill contributing 26 and Charlie Constable finishing unbeaten on 19.

Arun Antony Clement powered the chase with 66 from only 35 balls, although six wickets kept the contest alive. Sahiyan Sulfiker, unbeaten on 21, struck a crucial six in the penultimate over before he and Gopikkrishnan Annamalaichamy, 13 not out, guided BMA home in a tense finish.

Eastbourne 2nd XI followed by lifting The Paul Baker T20 Trophy with a 28-run victory over Three Bridges 2nd XI. Jack Meacher’s rapid 39 from 15 balls gave Eastbourne early momentum, while captain Jamie Hamilton made 37 and Isaac Bashir 34 in a total of 183-7.

Three Bridges built a promising platform through Charles Dennis, who made 44 from 26 balls, alongside Milo Price, Anas Farhan and Ben Donovan. David Twine then took control, returning outstanding figures of 5-20 to earn Player of the Match honours and seal Eastbourne’s victory.

Under the floodlights, The Daniel Oliver T20 Cup final provided the day’s defining performance. Asked to bat by Preston Nomads, Roffey lost both openers without scoring and slipped to 32-4, then 51-5 at the halfway stage.

Frankie Cripps transformed the match with a remarkable unbeaten 126 from 49 balls, hitting 12 sixes and 7 fours. His unbroken 141-run partnership with Ben Remfry carried Roffey to 192-5.

Nomads’ reply faltered at 29-4. Archie Lenham and Zan Copleston added 42, but Roffey’s disciplined bowling and energetic fielding kept the chase under control as Nomads finished on 135-8, giving Roffey victory by 57 runs.

Head of Sussex Cricket Foundation, Gary Wallis-Tayler said:

"As a County we are extremely fortunate to be able to access The County Ground to host our annual Finals Day. This represents a wonderful opportunity for our recreational players and clubs to experience playing competitive cricket in a professional setting, an opportunity not many get."

It was pleasing to see three great games of cricket, played in the right spirit and included some inspiring individual performances, especially from Frankie Cripps at Roffey CC whose innings will be remembered for years to come.

League Chair, Gary Stanley said:

What a brilliant Finals Day, possibly our best yet. Great weather and very well supported. We had a very close Plate Final and congratulations to one of our newer clubs in Brighton Malayalee.

"After a high-quality Paul Baker Trophy Final won by Eastbourne 2s, the Daniel Oliver Cup final produced a truly wonderful knock by Frankie Cripps of Roffey that anyone present will remember for a long time. It went a long way to earning Roffey a League and T20 double. Thanks to everyone involved."

After securing the ECB Premier Division title two weeks earlier, Roffey’s Cup triumph completed an exceptional double and brought the curtain down on the Dean Wilson Sussex Cricket League’s T20 programme in spectacular fashion.

The Sussex Cricket League would like to thank league sponsors Dean Wilson LLP for their valued support throughout the season.

Full scorecards: T20 Plate Final | The Paul Baker T20 Trophy Final | The Daniel Oliver T20 Cup Final

Photo album: View photographs from Finals Day here. Photo credit: Stephen Lawrence.

The season is nearing its close and so it's time for you to cast your vote ahead of this year's End of Season Awards, featuring players from both Sussex Men and Sussex Women.

To cast your vote, and to view the list of nominees, visit this link.

VI Sharks Seal Historic Treble with T20 Cup Win

On Saturday 19th September, Wolverhampton CC played host to Finals Day for the Blind Cricket England & Wales (BCEW) David Townley T20 Cup, bringing the curtain down on the 2026 season. The two semi-finals saw League and Cup winners face rivals London Metro, the current T20 Cup holders. In the other semi-final, Division 2 Kent faced Development League Cheshire in a tie that also looked finely balanced.

Sharks T20 skipper Ian ‘Tiny’ Morris called correctly and asked Metro to bat. Thomas Froud (63) gave the innings early impetus, but once his wicket fell the scoring rate slowed. Although Hardikkumar Patel’s battling unbeaten 29 lifted the score to 141-5, it looked slightly below par. There were no standout bowlers for the Sharks, but 15-year-old Deacon Finn and 57-year-old Tiny Morris bowled overs 16-19 for just 18 runs, including a maiden for Deacon, which put the brakes on.

Sussex started solidly and remained just ahead of the rate. Callum Weir (48) and Si Ledwith (43) took the Sharks past 100, but when both fell in quick succession, the rate began to climb and reached eight an over for the first time in the chase. Dan Field decided he was not going to allow the game to get close, blasting 26 not out off just 12 balls to seal victory with an over to spare.

In the other semi-final, Kent scored 208, which proved far too many for Cheshire, and progressed to the final with Sussex. In the game nobody wants to play, Metro dismissed Cheshire for 116 and comfortably got home in the 15th over.

Once again, Tiny Morris called correctly and asked Tom Barton’s Kent outfit to bat. It was clear early on that there was agulf in class between Sussex’s bowling and fielding and what Kent had been used to in Division 2. Tom Barton led from the front with a battling 32 and put on 57 for the first wicket, but this had taken 11.2 overs. When he fell, the second of two wickets for Alex Towers (2-13 from 4 overs), the Kent innings rather petered out. Kent tried to push on, but two late run outs saw the innings close on 103-4.

Kent took heart from an early wicket as Si Ledwith powerfully cut the ball for four through backward point, only for half of off stump to go with it and his innings to be over. Another quick wicket gave Kent a glimmer of hope, but this was soon extinguished as Callum Weir smashed 54 off 22 balls, including eleven 4, while Dan Field’s 39 off just 12 balls included four 4s and three enormous 6s. The game was over in just the 9th over.

Callum Weir was awarded Partially Sighted Player of the Day for his 102 runs, an excellent catch and superb ground fielding. Sam Hoskins from Metro was awarded Totally Blind Player of the Day for four wickets and 40 runs scored off the bat.

This brings the curtain down on the 2026 season, which truly belonged to Sussex as they lifted all three trophies for only the second time in the game’s history.

Full scorecard from both matches available here.

Match report courtesy of Ian ‘Tiny’ Morris.

On Thursday, 27th August 2026, Sussex Cricket was thrilled to host the Inaugural Women’s Capping Celebration. 

This was a proud and historic moment to honour their incredible achievements, dedication, and contribution to the game of cricket. It was attended by players who made their debuts for the county from across seven different decades, including several players who also represented England.

Laurie Walker, former Sussex WCA Treasurer and Women’s scorer, spent months trailing through every match ever recorded on Cricket Archive and compiling the full playing history, match archive, including different formats with some data going back to the start of Sussex Women’s cricket in the 1930s. 

This detailed information allowed us to start to build a comprehensive database of past players and, with the help of many former players, we managed to reach out to over 50 players. Those we celebrated on this first event either played at least 10 times for the county or made significant contributions to the playing programme. A huge thanks also goes to our main event sponsors: Roebuck, Quaff Wine and Cast Iron Coffee who contributed significantly to the purchase of the caps and the running of the event. 

The day was spent with players reconnecting, sharing memories and then receiving their caps. Head Coach, Alexia Walker, spoke about each player and their time playing for Sussex and they then received their caps with their name and date of debut embroidered on it from Sussex Chair, Ed Warner and Director of Cricket, Paul Farbrace. The players who have represented the county over 100 times received a golden version of this cap to recognise this immense achievement – Georgia Adams, Izzy Collis, Alexia Walker and Chiara Green.

There are many more players who will be recognised over the next few seasons as we continue to connect with them and celebrate those who have earned their cap for Sussex. There will also be an entire playing history of the women’s programme displayed at the ground from next season. 

On the celebration, Paul Farbrace, Director of Cricket, said: "Many congratulations on such a lovely occasion to bring so many former players to Hove, and to recognise their commitment to women’s cricket and cricket in general. Without a lot of those players the game as we know in England for women and girls would not be where it is, and what a lot of them gave up to play was impressive.

It would be great to keep building on this, not only bringing other players back for their caps, but also creating a cricketing community that brings former players together and gives them somewhere to come and keep the relationships strong."

On receiving her cap, Sally Walker (née Titmus), said: "Thank you for organising such a memorable day. I felt very honoured to receive my county cap and the whole occasion captured the essence of how special it is to represent Sussex.

With huge appreciation for all hard work of you and your team."

The list of those who received their cap at this first event are listed below:

SA Hodges | 1962

J Fears | 1963

V Hodges | 1966

J Johnson | 1975

S Martin | 1975

J Southgate | 1975

A Simmons | 1984

L White | 1985

B Oldman | 1986

SL Streete | 1987

S Titmus | 1989

S Donaldson | 1990

AM Bruce | 1992

AE Hills | 1993

SJO Lord | 1993

CHM Burton | 1996

FJ Block | 1999

RA Birch | 2000

CL Russell | 2006

LJ Uncles | 2007

AJ Freeborn | 2013

TG Norris | 2021

AM Buckle | 2021

MLL Taylor | 2021

MSL Taylor | 2021

FPJ Mullins | 2023

And those who received gold caps having represented Sussex over 100 times:

IV Collis | 2011

CM Green | 2010

GL Adams | 2009

AL Walker | 1998

ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay.

Nottinghamshire’s hopes of a successful title defence are all but over after they lost by seven wickets to Sussex at Hove.

The champions were dismissed for 193 in their second innings and Sussex knocked off a victory target of 76 in 18 overs. 

Nottinghamshire now need to win their final game of the season at home to Yorkshire and hope that Warwickshire slip up at home to Leicestershire.

But a more realistic target for Notts is to make sure they secure runners-up place.

Meanwhile Sussex are targeting a top-three finish after Somerset’s defeat at Headingley virtually ended their chances of a first Championship in their history. 

Sussex’s sixth win of the season is the same number as Warwickshire and Somerset. 

They finish their campaign at bottom of the table Hampshire and will fancy their chances of improving on last season’s fourth-place finish, which would be a remarkable effort given that they started the season with a 12-point deduction.

Ari Karvelas led his teammates off after taking the sixth five-wicket haul of his career and first for Sussex.

He finished with 5 for 42, taking his fifth wicket in his second over of the day when Ben Hutton edged a beauty which nipped away off the seam to second slip.

Mitch Hay and Tom Giles briefly held up Sussex with a ninth-wicket stand of 26 and it was off-spinner Jack Carson who finished things off by taking the last two wickets, the only ones in the innings to fall from the sea end.

With his second ball he hit Hay on the back leg and Carson wrapped up the innings when he beat Tom Giles’ defensive push for his second leg-before verdict. 

Nottinghamshire’s new-ball pair Olly Stone and Hutton both picked up a wicket at the start of the chase.

Haines was bowled offering no shot when Stone followed three outswingers with a ball that moved in to hit his off stump and Tom Clark was lbw to Hutton trying to flick down the leg side.

Charlie Tear and George Thomas settled any Sussex nerves with a stand of 35 before Tear lost his off stump to Mukesh Kumar’s first ball, which kept a little low.

But Thomas drove Liam Patterson-White’s left-arm spin for a straight six to get the target down to single figures and Carter cut Patterson-White to the boundary in the next over to secure the victory 20 minutes after lunch. 

Sussex’s Ari Karvelas took four wickets either side of tea to leave Nottinghamshire’s chances of retaining their Championship title hanging by a thread. 

The 32-year-old answered an SOS from his old county last month and delayed taking up a new job teaching cricket at Solihull School. 

And it looked like a good decision during a spell of 3 for 17 from ten overs which included the in-form Joe Clarke for the second time in the match. He finished with 4 for 34 and Nottinghamshire closed on 149 for 7 - a lead of just 31 - after Jaydev Unadkat collected three late wickets in 14 balls.  

Until Karvelas came back into the attack, Nottinghamshire had enjoyed a period of superiority for the first time in the game. 

They picked up a third bowling bonus point from the last available ball in running through Sussex’s last four wickets for just eight runs in 23 deliveries to keep their first-innings deficit down to 118.

The loss of 36 overs to rain before lunch did not help their efforts to keep the pressure on leaders Warwickshire, who had their feet up after beating Essex in two days.

Similarly, a win for Sussex gives them a great chance of a top-three finish and Karvelas, challenging both edges of the bat and finding bounce from the Cromwell Road end that has eluded the other seamers in this match, has certainly boosted their hopes.

Nottinghamshire had no choice but to start their second innings positively and openers Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater serenely added 52 but there was nothing Slater could do when Karvelas got one to lift alarmingly off a good length and wicketkeeper John Simpson did the rest. 

Hameed was reprieved on 23 when George Thomas put down a straightforward chance at backward point off Sean Hunt.

But Hunt and Tom Price built pressure before Karvelas returned to make the key incisions.

Hameed cut to gully on 43 and Karvelas’s ability to find extra bounce was evident again when Clarke edged to second slip off the shoulder of the bat - Karvelas’s 100th first-class wicket. 

Freddie McCann became his fourth victim courtesy of a fine diving catch by Simpson off an expansive drive with Notts still in arrears and when Karvelas came off there was no respite.

His replacement Unadkat struck with his first ball which Jack Haynes wafted to backward point before he took out Olly Stone’s middle and leg stumps in his next over. Simpson then dived full length to his right to take another superb catch off Liam Patterson-White's inside edge. 

Earlier, it had been a decent effort by Nottinghamshire’s bowlers to make relatively short work of the Sussex tail when play started at 1.30pm, especially as Price and Jack Carson, who both made half-centuries, had extended their seventh-wicket stand to 92 in 25 overs. 

Price’s 72 contained nine fours and looked good for a few more when he tried to run Stone off the bat face to third man but edged to first slip.

Carson hit nine fours in his 53 but in trying to steer Brett Hutton into the leg side he got a leading edge to point.

There were extended celebrations when Notts struck with the final ball of the 110th over to claim the ninth wicket and a third point when Karvelas drove Hutton to mid-on where Hameed took a good low catch.

In the next over, left-arm spinner Patterson-White got one to turn sharply off a middle-stump line and bowl Unadkat. Hutton finished with 4 for 59 but his side are up against it going into the final day.

Burgess Hill Girls U13 Finish National Runners-Up at Lord’s

Burgess Hill Girls Under 13s ended an incredible ECB Vitality Girls U13 Club T20 campaign as runners-up after a closely fought final against Duffield at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Although the trophy went to Duffield, it was still a weekend the girls, their families and everyone connected with Burgess Hill Cricket Club will never forget. 

Travelling to London as a squad, sharing meals and staying alongside the other national finalists all added to the occasion. Walking into Lord’s the following morning, warming up on the Nursery Ground and preparing to play a National Final was something few young cricketers ever get to experience. 8 girls, all state school took the field in a national final, we are very proud of that.

The build-up was made even more special by the generosity of MPPH Cars and Haime-Buttler, who provided every player with personalised commemorative items. A huge thank you also goes to Zoe Jarvis and Toni Saunders for the time and effort they put into getting everything personalised and ready for the girls.

Burgess Hill Start Strongly

Burgess Hill took to the field knowing early wickets would be important and could hardly have started better. Jess Parker struck in the opening over, bowling Darcey Yellott for a duck. Violet Bassett then removed Daisy Flindall and Halimah Khan to leave Duffield 29-3. The Lord’s outfield was much slower than many the girls had played on during the summer, making boundaries difficult to find and running between the wickets particularly important.

Duffield responded well through Charlotte Newsome and captain Autumn Beavan. Newsome anchored the recovery with an unbeaten 52, while Beavan made an important 39. Cora Saunders eventually broke the partnership, dismissing Beavan with a well-disguised slower ball and an excellent catch from Orlaith Jarvis. Cora then removed Martha Ford, with Neve Felton taking a well-judged catch. Burgess Hill’s bowling and fielding were excellent throughout. Under the pressure of a National Final, the team conceded only three wides and no no-balls. Their bowling and field placements also restricted the dangerous Newsome to facing only 11 of the final 30 deliveries.

The leading bowling figures were:

• Cora Saunders: 5-0-25-2
• Violet Bassett: 5-0-33-2
• Jess Parker: 5-0-26-1

Duffield finished on 126-5, leaving Burgess Hill with a challenging but achievable target.

A Chase That Went to the Closing Overs

Cora Saunders and Neve Felton gave Burgess Hill an excellent start. After six overs the score had reached 31 without loss, before the opening pair moved it on to 49 without loss. Duffield then fought back. Eva Ryder bowled Cora for 22 before Neve’s determined innings of 20 was ended by Harriet Malkin. When Chloe Kent was trapped lbw shortly afterwards, Burgess Hill had lost three wickets in three overs and slipped to 57-3.

Evie Peskett and Orlaith Jarvis responded with an important partnership. Orlaith played positively for her 24 from 17 balls, while Evie rotated the strike well and punished anything loose. Together they took Burgess Hill to 93-3 and put the team firmly back in the match.

After Orlaith was dismissed, Burgess Hill still needed fewer than 35 runs and had a real chance of victory. Duffield, however, regained control through some excellent bowling from Autumn Beavan and Eva Benstead.

The decisive moment came in the 18th over. Beavan dismissed Evie for a valuable 20 from 18 balls before sharp fielding from Benstead saw Violet Bassett run out attempting a second run. Jess Parker was then run out from the final delivery. Three wickets had fallen in five balls and the match had turned decisively in Duffield’s favour.

Burgess Hill were bowled out for 110, finishing 16 runs short.

A Team to Be Proud Of

Congratulations to Duffield, who were deserved National Champions. They recovered from a difficult start and stayed composed during the key moments of the Burgess Hill chase. A great team.

For Burgess Hill, there was still plenty to celebrate. The girls had competed brilliantly against the best teams in the country and remained in the final until the closing overs. Every member of the squad played their part throughout the competition: Cora Saunders, Evie Peskett, Neve Felton, Chloe Kent, Jess Parker, Violet Bassett, Orlaith Jarvis, Sophia Medhurst, Daisy Bichard-Van Dijk and Flo Deacon. They represented Burgess Hill with skill, determination, and a brilliant team spirit throughout the campaign.

The support at Lord’s was also fantastic. Families, friends, coaches and club members backed the girls from the warm-up through to the medal presentation, helping to create an atmosphere worthy of a National Final.

There was understandable disappointment when the final wicket fell, but the girls collected their runners-up medals with their heads held high. They may not have lifted the trophy, but they made their club, families and community incredibly proud, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

For the full match report head to the BHCC Facebook page.

For more information about girls’ cricket at Burgess Hill CC, contact Rob Gaunt, Head of Coaching: rgaunt@gmail.com

Or, if based elsewhere in the county, please contact Ayscha Woods, Women’s & Girls’ Cricket / Diverse Communities Manager: ayscha.woods@sussexcricketfoundation.org.

Sussex are at home for one final time this campaign as title-chasing Nottinghamshire head down south in the penultimate Rothesay County Championship fixture of 2026.

Unbeaten in the previous three matches, Paul Farbrace will look to end his tenure as Head Coach on a high with Nottinghamshire the visitors before a trip to Utilita Bowl closes out the 2026 season for Sussex.

Sussex's five wins this campaign match that of Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire, a healthy return despite being marooned in fourth place. Last week's rain-affected draw with Surrey all-but confirmed Division One status for next year, as Farbrace's side have the opportunity to seriously dent Notts' aspirations of back-to-back titles.

Team News

Farbrace has made one addition to the squad that earned a draw against Surrey last week, with Tom Clark returning to the squad.

James Coles joins up with his England teammates ahead of their T20I opener with Sri Lanka at Utilita Bowl on Tuesday, whilst Henry Crocombe has similarly met up with his own respective England squad, with him selected for their ODI squad that commences on Tuesday, 22 September. Both, then, are unavailable for this fixture. 

Squad: Carson, Carter, Clark, Evison, Goodman, Haines, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Leaning, T Price, Simpson, Tear, Thomas, Unadkat.

The Opposition

It's an exciting climax in Division One this year, with the top three sides separated by just five points with two matches to play.

In the conversation is Nottinghamshire - last year's champions who are eying consecutive titles for the first time in their history. Somerset and Warwickshire join them in the hunt, too, with this a crucial clash for Peter Moores' side.

Defeated just once in the league this season - that coming at the hands of Somerset back in June - it's been a similarly imperious campaign for Nottinghamshire, who arrive into this penultimate fixture on the back of a win over Hampshire at Trent Bridge.

At the core of their success has been top order batter, Joe Clarke. The 30 year-old has racked up 1240 runs in Division One this campaign, and is the leading run scorer in the league by a margin of 266 runs. Averaging 65.26 with the bat, it's been a remarkable season for Clarke who, alongside Jack Haynes, have totalled over 2000 runs between them this year. 

With the ball, Olly Stone's 41 wickets are the most in a Nottinghamshire shirt this season, and the fifth-most in the division. He arrives in fine form, too, having taken 6/28 in the second innings of their win over Hampshire last week.

Tickets

Tickets for all four days are available via our website, which can be accessed by clicking this link.

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