Remembering Michael Jayston 

October 29, 1935 - February 5, 2024

Sussex Cricket has been mourning the sad death of one of its foremost actor members, Michael Jayston, at the age of 88 years.

Michael was born in Nottingham in 1935, where his love of cricket grew with every boyhood season at Trent Bridge. Over the years, he developed a veritable encyclopaedic knowledge about the achievements of that County’s many iconic post-war players. Indeed, his knowledge of the history of cricket became incredible, details of which he was always delighted to share with others! 

When Michael came to live in Hove, he joined Sussex Cricket Club and became a playing member of Rottingdean CC, where he was always thrilled to display his skills as a fine leg-spin bowler. In later years, he was elected Club President in which position he was a hugely admired and respected figure.

Similarly, he was a popular member of the mid-week playing Brighton Brunswick CC, whose events he looked forward to with relish and it was always a pleasure to listen into his discussions with ex-Sussex stars, John Snow, Peter Graves & Jerry Groome, as well as with his great friend, Tony Dougall.

Michael also took delight in his frequent selections for the Lord's Taverners CC, where he much enjoyed being amongst other national celebrities.

Michael’s career as an actor was an enormously successful one, during which he become an acclaimed star of film, stage, television, radio and audio. A versatile performer and, genuinely, a man of many parts!

It was said in his early days that “with his granite jaw, dark magnetic eyes and urgently resonant voice, he became a specialist in playing romantic anti-heroes and he was tipped for Hollywood stardom after his acclaimed performance as the tragic Tsar Nicholas II in the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra”.

Nevertheless, Michael was not afraid to admit that he would have preferred something more slapstick. He once said “It sounds naive, but, basically, I love to entertain people. I love to make them laugh, I love to make them cry and I also I like to make them think, but most of all I just love to entertain.”

It is not surprising, therefore, that Michael was rarely out of work and he will be remembered widely for his appearances in Doctor Who (1986), Eastenders (2002) and, in 1996, in front of a television audience of nearly 25 million, in the episode of Only Fools and Horses in which Del Boy finally becomes a millionaire.

In the 1980s and thereafter Michael was to become “king of the advert voice-over”, when few commercial TV breaks seemed complete without him promoting anything from teabags to cleaning products, all with his signature Shakespearean diction.

Those of us who were fortunate to have known him, admired his incredible talent and unparalleled work ethic throughout a career spanning several decades, during which he made significant contributions to the entertainment industry. 

However, most of all, we will have enjoyed the chat invoked by a glass of red wine, a pint of bitter, or a cup of coffee, the topics of which ranged from international affairs, the stock market and the recent form of Sussex Cricket – particularly the latter. Indeed, he will be greatly missed in the local restaurants and cafes of Church Road, George Street and Woodland Parade in Hove!

We pass our heartfelt commiserations to his wife Ann and their children Richard and Katie, who survive him.

Finally, I recall the day some years ago, when I invited Michael to be my guest for a day in the Sussex Cricket Board Room. It was the first day of a County Championship match against Nottinghamshire CCC, who Michael had supported all his life.  During the first session of play, I asked him if he would be kind enough to read a poem written by the previously mentioned great Sussex cricketer, John Snow, which I had always admired. It was titled “Sometime When I’m Older”. He said he would be delighted to do so and viewed the words for a few minutes.

After we had sat down and before lunch was served to our Nottinghamshire guests, Michael read the poem to superb effect.

Those of us present will never forget the occasion, not quite believing how fortunate we had been to listen to a wonderfully talented actor, with a superbly sensitive and passionate voice loved by millions! It was a day to remember.

David Bowden,

Past President, Sussex Cricket

February 2024

Winter Watch

In this week's Winter Watch we reflect on crucial wickets and runs for Bertie Foreman in Australia, we recap on the Abu Dhabi T10 and find out how T20 Captain Tymal Mills has been getting on. Plus, we have updates on Georgia Adams, Oli Carter, Dan Ibrahim and Liam O'Brien.

Fifer for Foreman

Bertie Foreman's fine form in Australia continued last week, as he put in a match winning performance to take Manly Warringah to a final after beating Sydney University. 

Bertie was unbeaten on 68 runs, backing that up with the ball, as he took 5-109 from 36 overs. Played, Bertie!

Listen to Bertie's last interview as he talks about life down under, his form and his plans for 2024. 

Georgia Adams brings victory for New South Wales

Sussex Women skipper Georgia Adams was instrumental in helping New South Wales return to winning ways last week, contributing with both bat and ball as New South Wales beat ACT Meteors by 34 runs.

Georgia made 61 from 69 deliveries, before helping to seal victory with the ball, taking 2-12 in just 2.1 overs!

Tymal Mills in the UAE

Sharks captain Tymal Mills is once again mixing it with the best in franchise cricket in the UAE, returning to play for the Desert Vipers once again in the International League T20 competition.

Tymal has featured in 3 matches in this tournament, taking 3 wickets at an economy of 9.68. 

The Sharks captain will be looking to secure his place in the England squad for this year's ICC T20 World Cup.

Liam O'Brien's runs help England to victory

Sussex's Liam O'Brien blitzed 45 runs from 28 deliveries to secure a 22-run victory for the England Physical Disability team in Ahmedabad last week.

With the India having already won the series, England secured a win in the final game to see the series finish 3-2 to the hosts. 

Read the full story here.

Ibrahim and Carter suffer defeat against Charlestown

Both Dan Ibrahim and Oli Carter have been in excellent form over the winter for Newcastle City, with Carter captaining the side and contributing heavily with the bat, whilst Ibrahim has been more than useful with both bat and ball.

Ibrahim took 4-53 and made 22 with the bat, whilst Carter also made 29 in what was a rare defeat for the Sussex pair this winter. 

Last week, they began day one of the next round of Premiership matches, with Carter making 33 and Ibrahim 18. The second and final day of the fixture against Merewether takes place today.

We'll have more updates on the Sussex players around the world next week. 

2024 Match Tickets on General Sale Now!

Tickets for every Sussex and Southern Vipers match at The 1st Central County Ground are now on general sale. 

You can now start planning your summer in Hove, by purchasing individual match tickets of your choice. That includes the County Championship, Metro Bank One Day Cup, T20 Vitality Blast and Southern Vipers games.

Please note, if you are a Member in 2024, all Southern Vipers games are now included in your Membership.

Click here to grab your tickets. 

Take Your Matchday Experience to the Next Level

Upgrade your matchday experience to a new level at The 1st Central County Ground with one of our matchday hospitality packages, on sale now.

Whether you’re looking for the high-octane entertainment of the T20 Vitality Blast under the lights, the all-encompassing action of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, or the first-class red-ball action in the County Championship, we have a hospitality package for you.

Matchday hospitality at The 1st Central County Ground is the perfect place for you to entertain clients, celebrate a special occasion, or simply take your experience to the next level.

See our full range of hospitality packages in our 2024 Matchday Hospitality Brochure below.

Ready to book? Visit our ticketing website now to secure your package today.

Want to talk to our team and find out a little more? Contact Corporatesales@sussexcricket.co.uk 

Brad Currie and Charlie Tear Selected for Scotland

Sussex duo Brad Currie and Charlie Tear have both been selected for the Scotland Men's team for their tour of the UAE in Spring. Whilst Brad Currie had previously made his Scotland debut, the call-up is a first senior international selection for young wicket-keeper Charlie Tear.

Cricket Scotland Press Release

The Scotland Men’s squads have been confirmed today for the forthcoming tour of the UAE in February and March.

The tour will consist of four ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 fixtures against Canada and the UAE, followed by three T20 internationals against the UAE. Two squads have been picked to compete across the multiple formats.

Three players feature in the Men’s senior squad for the first time. 22-year-old Scott Currie of Hampshire is the younger brother of Brad Currie, who made his Scotland debut last year. 19-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Charlie Tear, contracted to Sussex, is picked in his first senior international squad, while Heriots’ all-rounder James Dickinson also receives his first call up.

Batsman Andrew Umeed, 27, returns to the squad after a successful 2023 season with Somerset. The former U19 international made his Scotland debut against Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup in 2015. Another returnee is Brad Wheal, whose most recent appearance was at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022.

Richie Berrington will captain both squads, while the coaching team will consist of Stevie Gilmour, Moneeb Iqbal, and Andy McKay. All three assisted Doug Watson during last year’s successful ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. The recruitment process for a new Men’s Head Coach is currently ongoing.

Ends

Congratulations, Brad and Charlie! #GOSBTS

New Men's Training Kit, 

Sponsored by Webtrends Optimize

Sussex Cricket is delighted to unveil the new Official Men's Training Kit, sponsored by Webtrends Optimize. 

Last week, the Club announced a new sponsorship deal that will see Webtrends Optimize become the Official Training Kit Sponsor for the Men's first team for at least the next four seasons.

The training kit, along with the new playing kit and Express Range, will be supplied by KitKing, in a multi-year deal that has seen Sussex become the only professional cricket team in the northern hemisphere wearing the Swoosh across their kits. 

Replica Training kit will soon be available for Sussex fans to purchase via the brand-new e-commerce platform, managed by KitKing. 

For now, fans can still get their hands on the brand new Nike Express Range, by visiting the online shop. 

Sussex Cricket Provides We Are You Are Progress Update

With so much going on at Sussex Cricket to over the past 18 months to promote inclusivity and make cricket a game for everyone, the Club has provided an update on a range of initiatives designed to support the objectives of our EDI Strategy.

What was our plan?

In 2021 we developed the We Are You Are strategy. This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan would underpin the work carried out by the Club and its charitable arm, the Sussex Cricket Foundation, by providing objectives and direction to increase participation, make our sport a game for everyone and make The 1st Central County Ground a welcoming environment. 

You can view the EDI Action Plan, along with our EDI Policies by visiting the Inclusion section of our website here: https://sussexcricket.co.uk/equality-diversity-and-inclusion

What progress has been made?

Over the past 18 months Sussex Cricket has run a number of initiatives and programmes to make cricket a game for everyone, whilst also investing capital into developing infrastructure to support the growth of the sport across the County. 

• The Crawley Urban Plan will have seen £200,000 invested into cricket in Crawley by the end of 2024
• Brand new three-lane indoor net facility opened at The Apple Tree Centre, Crawley
• Record number of attendees at Foundation’s DIScoverABILITY Day
• Over 500 relocated families given free access to cricket equipment
• 120 staff and Board Members have completed face-to-face EDI training
• Sussex Cricket signed the Muslim Athlete Pledge
• Brand new Changing Places facility and Multi-Faith Room opened at The 1st Central County Ground
• Thousands of free match tickets donated to local schools and cricket clubs 
• First ever Women’s Premier League launched in 2023, with 5 teams competing in the top division and 10 in division 2
• Over £13,000 awarded to cricketers in the Pathway through the Foundation’s Champions Fund

These are just some of the highlights and victories that have been achieved as a result of our EDI Action Plan. But it doesn’t stop there. 

Hear from Diyon De Silva on the impact of his Champion’s Fund support

And also hear from Kayleigh Pavitt on the importance of the Aldridge@BACA Women’s Premier League

What are our next steps?

Sussex Cricket is committed to continuing its mission to make cricket a game for everyone and although we have succeeded in meeting a number of our objectives, we understand that the job is never finished. 

Sussex Cricket will continue to work listen to stakeholders, fans, members and people in the community to ensure their voices are heard. 

We will work alongside the ECB and each of the other 17 First-Class Counties to carry out the ECB’s action plan outlined in their response to the report. You can view the full response and plan by clicking here. 

England Men's PD team finish India tour with a win

Sussex's Liam O'Brien played a vital role in England's win over India, making 45 from 28 deliveries. 

India had already clinched the series with a win on Saturday, but the win from England in the final match saw the series finish 3-2 to the hosts. 

England Captain Callum Flynn was named player of the series, as he surpassed 1,000 runs in international cricket. 

The match also marked the retirement of left-arm spinner Danny Hamm after a 14 year career. Hamm was a member of the first ever England PD squad and took a wicket with his first ball in international cricket. The 29-year-old went out in style with three wickets in today's match. 

England won the toss and opted to bat first, the visitors making 152-6 from their 20 overs. Flynn top scoring with 53, opener Alex Hammond chipping in with 38 and Liam O'Brien hitting 45 from just 28 balls. 

In reply India made 130-7, with three wickets for Hamm, two for Flynn and a wicket apiece for Anthony Clapham and Dan Reynaldo.

After the game, Hamm said: “It was great to get a win in the last game of the tour. Although we've lost the series, to come out here lose 3-2 and challenge India in most games has been a real achievement. 

"Personally, for that to be my last international game, to play in the largest stadium in the world and to help the team get a win is a dream finish. To get our first ever wins in India on this tour and push them as far as we could in the series is something that we can be really proud of. 

"We obviously would have liked to have won the series, but I am sure that the team will come back stronger from the learnings picked up in these games. It has been a fantastic experience and the team can't wait to get back out here and go one better next time." 

England Men's Physical Disability Team India Tour Results

Sunday 28 January, India won by 49 runs 

Tuesday 30 January, India won by 35 runs 

Thursday 1 February, England won by 22 runs

Saturday 3 February, India won by 19 runs

Tuesday 6 February, England won by 22 runs

Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce the appointment of Pete Fitzboydon as Chief Executive. 

The decision to appoint Pete as Chief Executive followed an extensive and rigorous recruitment process and will see him take over the role from 11th March 2024.

Pete Fitzboydon is a former Chief Executive of London Sport who also led both Badminton England and Cycling UK as CEO and brings experience of driving improvement of governance standards within professional rugby through a consultancy role at the Rugby Football Union.

More recently, he served as Interim Chief Executive of Cricket Scotland, overseeing the Scotland Men’s team who qualified for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup. 

Speaking on the new appointment, Sussex Chair, Jon Filby, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Pete Fitzboydon as the Chief Executive of Sussex Cricket. 

“Pete joins us at an exciting time, as we seek to return our men’s professional team to the first division of the County Championship, to develop a women’s professional team, to continuing growing the game in all forms across the county and to continue developing The 1st Central County Ground at Hove. 

“The Board and I are very much looking forward to working with Pete, whose broad experience of leadership in sport and passion for cricket, kindled by being a frequent visitor to Hove in years gone by, make him the ideal person to lead us through the years ahead.”

Commenting on his new permanent role, Pete Fitzboydon, said: “It is truly an honour to be joining Sussex Cricket as CEO at such an important time. 

I have so many fond memories of watching matches at The 1st Central County Ground in the late 2000s when I lived locally, and I am looking forward to playing a part as the club seeks to return to those trophy-laden days.

“Sussex Cricket is an exceptional organisation with a rich heritage. There are so many exciting opportunities ahead for Sussex Cricket, not least developing the women’s game and helping the sport to widen its appeal to all communities. 

“I look forward to adding my experience to the leadership team to help Sussex Cricket to fulfil its potential in all areas, from the sport’s grassroots right up to the top echelons of the game.”