Freya Davies has announced her retirement from cricket at the age of 29.

The tall fast bowler debuted for Sussex back in 2010 at the age of just 14 in a T20 against Middlesex; her 50-over debut coming two years later against Somerset. She was an integral part of the 2013 Sussex side that lifted the County Championship, and would go on to make 86 appearances for her birth county.

Freya completes a fine cricket career having featured heavily for England since her call-up in 2019. Despite not having played for Sussex for a short while, she has since starred for London Spirit, Welsh Fire, Southern Vipers and Hampshire. 

And as she calls time on a wonderful career, we wish Freya all the very best in her future endeavours.

Sussex Cricket Confirm Squad Departures

Sussex Cricket can today announce that five players will be leaving the Club when their contracts expire at the end of the season. 

Ari Karvelas, Bertie Foreman, Archie Lenham, Zach Lion-Cachet and Henry Rogers will all leave Sussex at the conclusion of the 2025 season. 

Lenham, who made his debut in T20 cricket for Sussex at the age of just 16, went on to play 59 matches for the Club in all formats, taking 51 wickets, also amassing 449 runs. 

Foreman, like Lenham, came through the Sussex Academy Pathway, featured in 11 matches, taking 8 wickets and making 239 runs. 

Rogers, also a product of the Sussex Academy Pathway, made 7 List-A appearances for the Club, scoring 91 runs.

Zach Lion-Cachet joined Sussex from Oxfordshire Cricket as a result of the talent development partnership between the two clubs. He made 6 List-A appearances, scoring 92 runs. 

After making his debut for Sussex in spectacular fashion at Lord’s, Ari Karvelas would go on to make 42 appearances across all formats, taking 89 wickets. 

Speaking on their departures, Director of Cricket, Paul Farbrace, said: “It is always a sad day when any professional cricketer leaves a club, and this is no different with five very good people moving on from Sussex. 

“All five have been great to work with and have made an excellent contribution to Sussex cricket on and off the field. 

“They are all welcome back at any time, and they go with all of our best wishes with whatever comes next in their careers and their lives.”

Everyone at Sussex Cricket wishes the players the best for their future careers. 

Sussex Members Approve Jon Filby Extension

Sussex Cricket held a Special General Meeting on 15 September, where members were asked to vote on two resolutions relating to the Club’s Rules.

The proposed changes allowed a director’s term to be extended to a maximum of 12 years if they were elected as Chair during their second or third year on the Board.

Members voted with an overwhelmingly majority in favour of the resolutions.

Following the outcome of the vote, the Sussex Cricket Limited Board confirmed that Jon Filby’s term as Chair will be extended by a further two years. 

He will now step down from the Board in March 2028.

Speaking on his extension, Jon Filby, said: “I am very grateful to the members of Sussex Cricket for their continuing support and look forward very much to working with the Board and the executive to create passion for cricket in Sussex, to continuing the development of winning teams and to uniting people across the county through the power of cricket”.

Sussex Win 60+ 1st XI Bowl to cap off Memorable Season for Seniors

In the last four seasons the Sussex 60+ 1st XI, who play matches in the National Division 1 South group of The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 60+ 1st XI, have won through to the National Cup Final and won the National Vase.

This year group results led to the Sussex 60+ 1st XI, being drawn to play in the Bowl competition for the second phase of the season.

In their quarter-final game they were drawn at home against Norfolk, with the game played at Horsham CC. The visitors batted first scoring 207-7 in their 45 overs, with Sussex racing past their total scoring 210-7 inside 38 overs.

The team then travelled down to North Devon for the semi-final where Sussex posted 270-4 with Martyn Ford scoring 79 and fellow opener Gordon Morgan (70) in a century plus partnership. After a fine bowling and fielding display from Sussex, Devon were bowled out for 210 with Ian Jones taking three wickets.

Onto the Final, and after a rained off first attempt - the team travelled to Banbury to take on Derbyshire. Another excellent bowling and fielding performance restricted Derbyshire to 181-7 with Ian Jones again the leading wicket taker, bowling his nine overs for just ten runs.

The opening pair of Morgan (49) and Ford (74no) got the innings off to another strong start, well supported by Mick Webb (45no). As Sussex raced past the Derbyshire total to win the trophy by an emphatic 9-wicket margin. View the full match scorecard here.

A great end to the season with both Martyn Ford and skipper Gordon Morgan scoring over 620 runs each and four players Ford, Christmas, Hill and Haggart also representing one of the England Seniors teams.

But the success didn’t stop there for the Seniors, who have in total reached an impressive four National Finals this season. Going on to win in three of those finals!

The results from these three matches are below along with links to the respective scorecards:

50+ 2nd XI beat Buckinghamshire by 6 wickets to win The 50+ 2nd XI County Championship – Plate. Match scorecard

60+ 3rd XI beat Wales by 5 wickets to win The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 60+ 3rd XI Cup. Match scorecard

70+ 1st XI lost to Devon by 14 runs in The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 70+ 1st XI Bowl Final. Match Scorecard

It's been another brilliant season for the Sussex Seniors, who continue to provide cricket for hundreds of players every week. For all results, scorecards and statistics from across the various teams, visit their Play-Cricket site.

Sussex vs Yorkshire: Day Three Match Report

Captain John Simpson made the only half-century so far in a bowler-dominated contest as Sussex and Yorkshire battled for supremacy at Hove.

Simpson’s 66 on a day when only 51 overs were possible because of rain and bad light helped Sussex to 232 for eight, a lead of 38.

With a day to go a draw still seems the likely outcome – a result which would suit both teams bearing in mind the struggles two of the teams below them in the table – Hampshire and Durham – are having in the penultimate round of matches. 

Having started the day on 84 for 4 and still 110 behind, Sussex will be pleased with their efforts in conditions which were never great for batting with a grey canopy of low cloud all day and the ball doing enough off the pitch to keep the seamers interested before Dom Bess, belatedly introduced to the attack, spun two balls sharply to take two wickets in eight balls.

Simpson, in two hours and 40 minutes of patient accumulation, offered just once chance after reaching the 60th fifty of his first-class career when he was on 53 and Adam Lyth put him down at slip off George Hill.

When play started at 11.45am after overnight rain Simpson and Tom Alsop extended their fifth-wicket stand to 42. That it took 19 overs reflected the quality of the seam bowling, notably from Matt Milnes and Hill.

Milnes made the breakthrough when he switched ends although Alsop could consider himself very unfortunate when he defended deep in his crease and the ball rolled onto the stumps, gently dislodging the leg bail.  Nonetheless his 36 in two hours was an important contribution.

After lunch Simpson and Carson went on the attack, adding 52 in 12 overs before Carson played at an outswinger he could have left from Hill and Lyth held on at second slip.

There was another good partnership for the seventh wicket for nearly an hour between Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice and it was the introduction of off-spinner Dom Bess that brought Yorkshire some relief.

In his second over Bess turned one sharply to hit Hudson-Prentice’s off stump and he claimed the key wicket of Simpson in the next over as he was pushed forward and was beaten by one which turned to hit off stump, from a round the wicket line. It was a fine ball to end a quality innings, which included eight fours and took Simpson to 952 runs for the season. He will be confident of reaching 1,000 for the third time in his career with potentially three innings to play. 

Drizzle forced the players off shortly after tea and frustratingly, when they resumed at 5.05pm, only three balls were possible before bad light forced another delay. Umpires Tom Lungley and Jack Shantry finally called it a day at 5.50pm.

Sussex vs Yorkshire: Day Two Match Report

Fourteen wickets fell at Hove as two sides needing a victory that would make sure of their first division status produced a compelling day.

Sussex were in the ascendancy when they bowled Yorkshire out for 194 after tea but the visitors fought back, reducing the hosts 84 for four when bad light ended with 13 overs not bowled. 

A draw would probably suit both teams in their battle to avoid an immediate return to the second division but despite no play on the first day there is now every chance of a positive result. A pitch that had been under cover for the best part of 48 hours offered help to the seamers throughout but there was also some flawed shot selection from both teams.

It looked a good toss to win when Yorkshire reached 100 for two. But Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who took three wickets apiece, and the excellent Ollie Robinson fought back to take six wickets between lunch and tea before off-spinner Jack Carson finished the innings off.

With the floodlights on, Yorkshire hit back with the new ball. Jack White had Dan Hughes smartly taken low at third slip and Tom Haines was lbw to Matt Milnes working to leg. Milnes struck again in his sixth over thanks to wicketkeeper Johnny Bairstow’s alertness. Hill shelled a catch at slip, but the ball landed on Bairstow’s right boot and he scooped it into his gloves as it bounced up. James Coles (29) shaped up well until he found mid-wicket trying to work Jordan Thompson through square. 

The subsequent clatter of wickets had seemed unlikely for much of the morning session as Fin Bean and Adam Lyth accumulated patiently before Bean (27) was caught behind trying to cut Hudson-Prentice’s medium pace and in the last over before lunch left-armer Sean Hunt found Lyth’s inside edge after he’d made 47 and looked to have done the hard work.

Yorkshire then lost five for 15 in 7.2 overs with James Wharton taken low down at slip by Jack Carson to give Robinson a belated reward. Bairstow was bowled through the gate by Unadkat in the next over and he struck again when Matthew Revis played at a delivery he could comfortably have ignored well outside off stump.

Hill drove loosely and was caught at slip and Dom Bess fell to a leg-side strangle. Jordan Thompson glided the hat-trick ball from Hudson-Prentice effortlessly to the cover rope and Sussex would have been in an even stronger position had Coles held a waist-high chance at second slip before Thompson added to his boundary.

Instead, Thompson and Indian Mayank Agarwal put conditions into perspective by adding 52 for the eighth wicket with few alarms. 

Agarwal, who made a golden duck on his debut at Taunton last week, had been in since the fall of the first wicket and although he struggled with his timing during nearly two and a half hours he did a solid job while wickets tumbled at the other end until following one from Unadkat which had shaped away.

After tea Carson pinned Thompson (38) with a ball which straightened just enough and the innings ended when White was caught at slip driving loosely at Carson. 

Well, here it is: one final showdown at Hove for 2025, and a pivotal one it could be, too, as Yorkshire journey down for the penultimate County Championship match of the campaign with both sides keeping one eye fixed over their shoulder. 

With draws aplenty across Division One - including Sussex's hosting of Hampshire earlier in the week - there was little change to the table with a handful of teams still keeping close tabs on the drop zone. Hampshire's eight point deduction has made things more interesting as Sussex climb to sixth, but with Yorkshire another side looking to progress away from danger, next week's round of fixtures will prove pivotal in the race for survival.

Team News

Paul Farbrace has named a 13-player squad for the visit of Yorkshire. Henry Crocombe was forced to exit the squad ahead of the Hampshire fixture earlier in the week, and so the squad is unchanged:

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Coles, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Robinson, Simpson* (wk), Unadkat

The Opposition

So, our opponents: placed in seventh a mere three points shy of Sussex, Yorkshire travel down south in need of maximum points to move further away from ninth position. Slightly helped by the weather in their previous fixture at Somerset on their way to a draw, it's been steadier stuff for Anthony McGrath's side since a shaky start put them on the backfoot early on. 

Five games unbeaten, their finest victory may just have arrived against Sussex in early August up in Scarborough on a tough few days for Paul Farbrace and his team. In Adam Lyth they have found a consistent run scorer at the top of the order, with a fine season average of 52.06. With the ball, George Hill and Jack White have done the most damage, though Sussex will still be feeling the effect of Matt Milnes, who was excellent in Scarborough.

Timings

Gates will open tomorrow at 9.30am, with the toss taking place half an hour later at 10am. The first ball will be bowled at 10.30am. 

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. You can find information on how to register here.

Match Tickets

Tickets are available to purchase on the day from our ticket office, or via this link.

You're Invited to the 2025 End of Season Awards

Sussex Cricket is delighted to be able to invite you, our Sussex supporters, to this year's End of Season Awards night.

Taking place on Sunday 28th September at The Grand in Brighton, the End of Season Awards night is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the Sussex Men's, Women's, Disability and Senior cricket teams, all under one roof, hosted by Adrian Harms.

And in 2025, we'd like to invite you to join us for the evening. Supporters can enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, a two-course sit-down meal and dance the night away with Sussex players, coaches and staff.

• - 7pm arrival at the Empress Suite at The Grand, Brighton
• - Welcome drink and two course meal
• - Dress to impress - Black ties are not required
• - Carriages at midnight

Please note no tickets will be issued for this event. There will be an attendance list and seating plan upon your arrival on the evening.

Tickets cost £65 for Sussex Members and £75 for non-Members. 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS. 

A bad day for Hampshire ended with them flirting with the first division relegation after rain frustrated their attempt to beat Sussex at Hove.

Only 21 overs were possible on the final day at the 1st Central County Ground and between the showers Sussex, who needed 278 to win, reached 84 for 3 before a final downpour at 4pm ended play with opener Tom Haines unbeaten on 40. Both teams took 11 points.

That at least covered the eight points Hampshire had been deducted earlier in the day for preparing a poor pitch when Sussex won at the Utilita Bowl in May.

Hampshire have a trip to Somerset next week before they finish the season at home to title-chasing Surrey.

Having been up against it after two days, Sussex will be relieved with an outcome which stretches the gap between them and the bottom two. They host Yorkshire next week before finishing the season against Worcestershire at New Road.

After the entire third day was washed out, more rain delayed the start until 2pm, leaving Sussex 51 overs to score a further 241 at 4.7 runs per over.

On a pitch which was becoming more comfortable to bat on, Hampshire needed to take every opportunity going but in the third over of the day wicketkeeper Ben Brown put down a chance low to his right offered by night watcher Sean Hunt off Kyle Abbott. In the next over Hunt edged Keith Barker between second and third slips.

Just 27 minutes were possible before another shower drove the players off with six overs lost but Hampshire then struck twice in successive overs to give themselves hope. Hunt had done his job, using up 61 balls in making 19 before left-arm spinner Bjorn Furtain pinned him lbw half forward.

In the next over Barker picked up a deserved wicket when Ollie Carter was bowled by a delivery which nipped back onto his off stump. But only 8.4 overs more were bowled either side of tea before another downpour was quickly followed by handshakes on the dressing-room balcony.