Sussex Cricket today announces that Tom Clark has signed a one-year contract extension with the club.

The 25-year old has been an important figure across all three formats for Sussex since his debut back in 2019, and has committed his future at the club to the end of the 2027 season.

Signing his first professional contract with the club at the age of 18, the pathway graduate has featured in 64 first-class games, racking up 2,856 runs with five centuries - with his High Score of 140 coming on the opening day of last season at Edgbaston.

Impressing in the shorter formats, too, Clark enjoyed an explosive start to this year's Vitality Blast before unfortunately picking up an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the competition. His bowling, too, has improved considerably over the years and we look forward to seeing more of Clark with both bat and ball for next season, and, indeed, for the rest of this current season.

On signing his new deal, Clark said: "I’m delighted to sign an extension at Sussex, a place I’m proud to call my home. We have a special dressing room full of great players, coaches and people who I love working with.

It is clearly not an easy time for the club and I’ve had to think very carefully about my future. It has become clear to me that I want to show my commitment to the club, dressing room and members with a strong hope that these off field matters can improve as quickly as possible and we can fulfill the promise that I know this special group and great club can achieve.

Assuming this is the case and the position is recovered, there is no reason why I can’t commit my future at Sussex beyond next year."

Head Coach, Paul Farbrace, also commented on Clark's contract extension: "I am delighted that Tom has committed his immediate future with Sussex and is staying at Hove for one more season, at least. Tom is a seriously talented all-round cricketer, and fantastic team player to have in our dressing room." 

Farbrace continued: "He has developed his game so much in the last year and is a first pick in all teams for us. We are all thrilled he has chosen to stay at Hove and continue his development and also contribute to us winning games of cricket. On and off the field Tom plays a leading role in the team, and we look forward to him helping the team to win many more games."

By Joseph Chapman, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Warwickshire Bears sealed a third successive Vitality Blast victory at Edgbaston as they eased past Sussex Sharks by 76 runs, thanks to half–century knocks from three of their top order batters and a clinic in quality quick bowling.

Rob Yates (54 from 27 balls), Beau Webster (60 from 42 balls) and Sam Hain (68 not out from 38 balls) all passed 50 as the Bears posted an imposing total of 198 for 3, which Sussex never truly appeared close to reaching, eventually limping to 122 all out with Richard Gleeson proving tormentor-in-chief.

Yates, who was dismissed for a two-ball duck against Worcestershire Rapids last Friday, atoned for that lack of contribution with a substantial one here. The opener took Tymal Mills for 21 runs in the seamer’s first over which included two towering sixes.

Yates ran with a little fortuitous momentum and proceeded to confidently lift Henry Crocombe over the slips for four before then swatting the young quick away through mid-wicket for six more.

Zen Malik was stumped by former Bears spinner Danny Briggs (two for 36) and, when Yates departed in similar fashion to Jack Carson having secured a 22-ball half-century, Sussex appeared to have hauled themselves back into the contest.

Webster and Hain began to accelerate again, putting on 76 runs in the space of seven overs in the middle of the innings before Webster was trapped LBW by Briggs five shy of a century stand.

Hain had allowed Webster to exploit the role of aggressor during their partnership but took up that mantle himself in the closing stages.

He reached his own 50 in 31 deliveries and managed to spear Mills away for six as part of a nine-ball, 14-run final over which saw the Bears climb up to 198.

The Sharks were steady if unspectacular in the opening stages of their chase but they themselves were just beginning to pick up the pace when Harrison Ward (23 from 15 balls) chopped on when facing down Gleeson (four for 19).

George Thomas (15 from 7 balls) made an instant impression at the crease; he took Webster for 14 runs in the final over of the powerplay to bump Sussex back up towards the required run rate.

In the very next over, though, Usman Tariq struck when he trapped Thomas in front to ensure the young batter’s stay was short-lived - and that proved to be a similar story for Oli Carter (12 from 9 balls), whose leg stump was ripped from the ground when he failed in sweeping Webster.

When opener Dan Hughes (38 from 31 balls) perished, victim of a jaffa from Jordan Thompson which sent his bails flying, things began to look rather ominous for Sussex’s lower order.

The pressure on the tail to produce runs led to ill-timed and ill-advised shot selection, which Gleeson took full advantage of and his searing pace and full length deliveries proved far too good for Carson, Briggs and Hunt as the Bears coasted to the points with more than three overs to spare.

Sussex Cricket can confirm that Henry Crocombe will be leaving Sussex to join Surrey at the end of the season.

Making his first-class debut for Sussex on August 1, 2020, in the Bob Willis Trophy at the age of 18 - and involved with the club since the Under-12s - Crocombe will depart Sussex at the end of the season for Surrey.

In what has been a rapid rise for the now 24-year old seamer, Crocombe recently earned a maiden call-up to the England Men's Test squad for the second Test against New Zealand following an excellent start to 2026. Taking 21 wickets in Division One at an average of 28.61 - including returning career-best match figures of 9-69 as Sussex beat Leicestershire by 222 runs in the opening round of the County Championship.

Since his debut in 2020, Crocombe has made 48 first-class appearances, claiming 106 wickets whilst also featuring in 34 List A games, and 31 Vitality Blast matches. Impressing with both red and white ball, his recent performances in the Vitality Blast handed him a stint in this year's Hundred, selected via the Wildcard Draft.

Paul Farbrace, Head Coach of Sussex, said: "Everybody at Sussex Cricket is very disappointed that Henry will be leaving the club at the end of this current season, he is a fantastic young man, who has developed into a top-quality bowler, and through no fault of his own, finds himself in this tough situation."

He added: "It is with real sadness and regret that he is leaving at a time when his development and hard work is really shining through, with selection to the England Test squad for the second Test v NZ and also being drafted into the Hundred. I really feel for the staff who have worked so hard with Henry to get to this point, for the members who love seeing him charging in with ball in hand and also for Henry, who has given so much to the club, on and off the field, and leaving Sussex was not something he ever wanted to do. This situation we find ourselves in is really tough to take and seeing our own players the club has developed moving on makes it a more bitter pill to swallow."

"Henry of course leaves with our very best wishes, and we will all look forward to following his journey, and he will always be most welcome back at his cricketing home of Hove. With plenty more cricket to play this summer, we all look forward to watching Henry contribute to more wins for Sussex before he does move on."

Crocombe has also addressed the media following the news of his departure from his home county at the season's end: "I’ve loved every day I’ve spent in a Sussex shirt and couldn’t have asked for a better group to have spent my time with. This club has given me every opportunity to get better as both a cricketer and a person and I couldn’t thank the players, staff and supporters enough for that. I’m sad to be leaving my childhood club and home, but thankful for every memory that I’ve been able to create here."

We wish Henry all the very best for his future career.

Statement from Sir Rod Aldridge, Interim Chair of Sussex Cricket

Sussex Cricket can confirm that Toby Peirce has informed the Club of his intention to step down as an Elected Board Director.

Toby joined the Board in 2024 as an elected representative and brought with him a long-standing connection with Sussex Cricket as a former player and active member of the wider Sussex cricket community. Having come through the Club's junior pathway, he spent ten years on the professional staff before continuing to support Sussex through his business interests and involvement in the recreational game.

On behalf of Sussex Cricket, I would like to thank Toby for his contribution to the Board and for the perspective he has brought as a former player and long-standing supporter of the Club. 

We wish him well for the future.

Toby will remain on the Board until his successor has been elected. A process to recruit new Elected Board Directors will take place during this summer, with further details to follow.

Following Friday's defeat to Surrey, the Sharks look for a swift response to keep Vitality Blast hopes alive with a trip to Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Despite another excellent powerplay from the Sharks, the runs soon dried up in the middle overs leaving Surrey with a reachable target that they chased down within 16 overs. A difficult defeat, and one that puts the Sharks now with an outside chance of qualification after seven matches played. 

A trip up to Edgbaston awaits on Wednesday evening, visitors to a Warwickshire Bears side that have struggled similarly for momentum as they sit bottom of the Central & West Group. An opportunity for a third win of the campaign, and one that is sorely needed if the Sharks are to catch up to those out in front.

Team News

Ollie Robinson and Henry Crocombe returned to Friday's squad following their respective stints with the England Test squad, and are available for selection once again. James Coles, following his call-up to the England IT20 squad, is an absentee with the first match of the series also taking place on the same date.

Tom Clark, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Brad Currie continue to miss out through their respective injuries, whilst Charlie Tear has been added to the 15-player squad. Jack Leaning, also, comes in for Dom Goodman in the only other change to Friday's squad.

Men's Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Carter, Crocombe, Hughes, Hunt, Leaning, Mills (c), Price, Robinson, Simpson (wk), Tear, Thomas, Ward.

The Opposition 

Two wins, five defeats: both the Bears and the Sharks head into this midweek matchup with an identical record. For the Edgbaston-based side those two wins arrived in their past two fixtures, blasting 440 runs across the two games in victories over Somerset and, most recently on Friday, Worcestershire Rapids.

They arrive, then, in good form though will need to win a fair few of their remaining matches if they are to sneak into the latter stages of the competition. Opening batter, Zen Malik, recorded his T20 High Score on Friday, smacking a 46-ball 99 in a big win over their rivals. Rewind to early June and their opening win of the competition, it was the bats of Beau Webster (112) and Dan Mousley (71) that saw them chase Somerset's 215 with three balls to spare.

Bowling has been a bit of an issue for the Bears in the Blast thus far, with only one bowler taking over six wickets. That'll be through their overseas Pakistani international, Usman Tariq, who has picked up seven wickets to date. Jordan Thompson and Chris Woakes follow close behind.

How to Watch

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

The game gets underway at 7pm. 

Tickets

Tickets for this clash at EdgBLASTon are available to purchase here.

The Sussex Cricket Foundation are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Lessons from the Field, created by former cricketer, Charlie Hartley.

Lessons from the Field are a series of books for children aged 5-10 that helps teach children the values of sport, leadership, teamwork, respect and much more. Each story follows a young athlete navigating a personal challenge, on the pitch, in the pool, on the court, and learning an important lesson along the way.

Lessons from the Field have a specific book for cricket which is perfect for young players, teammates and cricket lovers who are learning that the biggest lessons in sport often happen away from the scoreboard.

The book retails at £14.99, however Sussex Cricket Foundation supporters can receive a 10% discount by using the code SUSSEX10 when purchasing through the dedicated partnership page here. In addition, 20% of every book sale generated through the partnership will be donated to Sussex Cricket Foundation, helping support its work to increase access to cricket and provide opportunities for young people across Sussex.

Charlie Hartley, who wrote Lessons from the Field said; “Cricket has given me so many valuable lessons throughout my life, and that's what inspired me to write Lessons From The Field. I am delighted to be partnering with Sussex Cricket Foundation to help bring those lessons to more young people across Sussex through the power of reading and sport. We hope families enjoy the book and, through their support, help the Foundation continue its fantastic work in schools and communities across the county.”

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Director of the Sussex Cricket Foundation added; “I am delighted to partner with Lessons from the Field and promote their book to our schools across Sussex. The book will help educate children on the power of sport and help with children’s personal development. The funding reimbursed to the Foundation will help support our ambitious plans to transform state school cricket in Sussex and help provide more opportunities for children to access the game.”

* To learn more about Lessons from the Field - https://www.lessonsfromthefield.co.uk/

** To learn more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation, please view their recent Impact Report here.

Statement from Sir Rod Aldridge, Interim Chair of Sussex Cricket 

Sussex Cricket can confirm that Simon Crundwell will step down from the Board of Sussex Cricket Limited and cease to be a director of Sussex Cricket Estates Limited with effect from 30 June 2026.

Simon's departure coincides with his retirement from Metro Bank following a long career in banking. Having decided to step away from full-time professional commitments, he will now focus on his recovery following recent surgery and pursue other interests and opportunities.

Simon has served Sussex Cricket across three periods since first joining the Board in 2008, most recently returning in April 2025. During that time, he has held a number of important roles, including Honorary Treasurer and Vice Chair, and has made a significant contribution to Sussex Cricket both on and off the Board.

During his time with the Club, Simon played a leading role in the Ground Redevelopment in 2009/10 and, more recently, has led on the Club's wider Masterplan, including the Tate development.

On behalf of Sussex Cricket, I would like to thank Simon for his commitment, expertise and support over many years. His knowledge of the Club and commitment to Sussex Cricket have been greatly valued.

We wish Simon every success in his retirement and for the future.

By Paul Weaver at Hove, ECB Reporters network supported by Rothesay

Surrey’s inconsistent Vitality Blast season received a major boost at Hove when they beat Sussex by seven wickets wickets with 4.3 overs to spare.  

Surrey must have thought they would be facing a chase well in excess of 200 when Sussex surged to 92 without loss in seven overs.

But Sussex failed to double their score from that position, losing ten wickets for 77 runs as bowlers Dan Lawrence and Tom Lawes put a stranglehold on the home team.

That left Surrey needing just 172 for victory and Will Jacks, with memories of his century here last season, and Australian Josh Philippe, making his first appearance for the club, led the way with a century stand for the second wicket, each scoring fifty from 25 deliveries.

After the early loss of Jason Roy, Surrey raced to 124 for one at the halfway stage. Philippe fell for 52 but Jacks, with an unbeaten 70 off 39 balls, saw Surrey comfortably home in the company of Lawrence with 27 balls remaining.

Sussex had chosen to bat and made a great start to their innings, striking 80 without loss off the six-over powerplay.

Dan Hughes, Sussex’s leading scorer in the competition this season, was matched by opening partner Harrison Ward, fresh from a 41-ball century for the second team at Horsham in midweek.

When Surrey captain Sam Curran came on to bowl the last over of the powerplay Ward hit him for 4-6-4-6-dot-4, the first six flying over square-leg and out of the ground.

But from 94 without loss in the eighth over Sussex lost quick wickets as Lawrence and Lawes brought some control back to the Surrey attack.

Ward was first to go, lbw to Lawrence whose opening over cost just two runs. Ward’s  29-ball 49 included seven fours and two sixes.

And in the next over Hughes drove Tom Lawes straight to Chris Jordan at extra-cover for a 19-ball 45, with six fours and two sixes.

James Coles, playing probably his last Vitality Blast game for Sussex before joining England’s T20 squad, had scored just two when he lifted Lawes to Jordan at long-on.

In the next over Oli Carter was bowled by Lawes for another two and when John Simpson swung Lawes straight into the hands of Lawrence at deep midwicket Sussex were suddenly 122 for five and had lost five wickets in as many overs for just 28 runs.

At that stage Sussex, with a long tail, relied on Tom Alsop, and he played well for 31 before clipping Reece Topley to fine leg.

Unusually, Lawrence and Lawes bowled out their full allocation in one spell, and in tandem, taking the first five wickets and turning the game. 

The Sharks return to Vitality Blast action following a short pause, searching for a victory to boost qualification hopes in front of a sold out crowd as Surrey head to Hove.

It wasn't quite the start the Sharks would have desired following the opening six rounds of the Blast, with Paul Farbrace's side claiming two wins in that span, defeated four times. Yet there was plenty of positivity to take in those matches, with the Sharks looking strong in parts of those losses.

It finished well, though: the most recent match in the competition saw a win in front of another strong Hove crowd against Kent Spitfires, breathing hope into Sussex with a further six games remaining. There is plenty riding on Friday night, then, as Surrey head down to the coast...

Team News

Ollie Robinson and Henry Crocombe are available to feature, and have been named in the 15-strong squad. James Coles, too, following his call-up to the England IT20 squad, features in the squad before joining up with his England teammates ahead of their first IT20 match on July 1.

Tom Clark, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Brad Currie continue to miss out through their respective injuries.

Men's Squad: Alsop, Briggs, Carson, Carter, Coles, Crocombe, Hughes, Hunt, Goodman, Mills (c), Price, Robinson, Simpson (wk), Thomas, Ward.

The Opposition 

It hasn't been the most explosive start to the Blast campaign for Surrey, either. Three wins and three defeats sees them certainly keeping up with the pack, though a victory for the Sharks would see them significantly close the gap.

Despite a strong start that saw them win their opening two games of the campaign, they have since lost twice to Hampshire and on home soil to Kent, too. The two sides are yet to meet in the competition this year, with the reverse fixture at Kia Oval taking place on Wednesday, 8 July. 

Former Shark, Josh Philippe, has signed for Surrey for the remainder of the Vitality Blast and is available to feature for tomorrow's game. With Coles named in the the Sharks' squad, Will Jacks and captain Sam Curran could feature, with the pair enjoying fine starts to the campaign. Curran is the leading run scorer for Surrey this year, with Jason Roy shortly behind. Dan Lawrence arrives in good form, though, having struck 94 off just 47 deliveries in their last match,

With the ball, Reece Topley's 10 wickets lead the line for his side.

Previous Encounters

Surrey will be looking to make it four wins on the bounce at Hove in this competition, with the Sharks without a win against Friday's opponents on home soil since 2022.

The two sides have met in the Vitality Blast on 43 occasions, with Surrey winning 22 of those matches, a fair few ahead of Sussex's 15 victories. The last meeting between the two counties in T20 cricket at Hove was a thriller, and one that the visitors narrowly edged despite an absorbing chase from the Sharks that fell just short.

How to Watch

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

The game gets underway at 7pm. 

Tickets

Tickets for this clash with Surrey have sold out. Please do not travel to the ground if you do not have a ticket.

Star all-rounder James Coles has been handed a very well-deserved maiden England call-up ahead of their IT20 series against India, starting July 1.

Coles has been in prolific form in T20 cricket recently, enjoying a superb Blast in 2025 before making a name for himself in South Africa through the SA20.

England Men’s National Selector, Marcus North, said: “James Coles is an exciting addition and has earned his place following his performances with the England Lions and in T20 competitions here and abroad during the past 12 months."

England Men’s Vitality IT20 series v India Schedule:

1st Vitality IT20: Wednesday 1 July, Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 5.30pm start

2nd Vitality IT20: Saturday 4 July, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 2.30pm start

3rd Vitality IT20: Tuesday 7 July, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 5.30pm start

4th Vitality IT20: Thursday 9 July, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, 5.30pm start

5th Vitality IT20: Saturday 11 July, Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 2.30pm start

Jofra Archer, too, has been called-up to the 17-strong squad, that commences in a week's time.