Henry Crocombe and James Coles selected for England Lions

Henry Crocombe and James Coles have been selected in the England Lions squad for this winter's tour of South Africa.

The selection represents a first Lions call-up for Henry Crocombe, who came through the Sussex Academy. 

Both players enjoyed a successful end to the season as Sussex clinched the Division Two title with Crocombe taking a career-best 4-22 against Gloucestershire to help us secure promotion in Bristol, whilst Coles hit an unbeaten 132 off 150 balls with the bat and taking 4-61 with the ball in the final match of the season against Middlesex.

Congratulations Henry and James! #GOSBTS 

Full ECB announcement:

The England Men's Lions have confirmed a 19-player squad to tour South Africa from 20 November to 14 December. The camp will focus on supporting the development of the highest potential players, with a focus on individualised and high-quality training. The tour will conclude with a four-day match against South Africa A in Western Province. The tour is designed to further develop England's talent pool across both formats and all skills.

England Lions Squad:

Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire)
Zaman Akhtar (Gloucestershire)
Kasey Aldridge (Somerset)
Pat Brown (Derbyshire)
Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire) – part involvement
James Coles (Sussex)
Henry Crocombe (Sussex)
Josh Hull (Leicestershire)
Matt Hurst (Lancashire) – part involvement
Tom Lawes (Surrey)
Freddie McCann (Nottinghamshire)
Ben McKinney (Durham)
Harry Moore (Derbyshire)
Dan Mousley (Warwickshire)
Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire)
James Rew (Somerset)
Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire)
Mitch Stanley (Lancashire)
John Turner (Hampshire)

The group includes six players – Jafer Chohan, Henry Crocombe, Matt Hurst, Freddie McCann, Harry Moore, and Mitch Stanley – who are experiencing their first Lions call-up. 

Due to their Big Bash League commitments, Chohan, the Yorkshire leg-spinner, and Lancashire wicketkeeper-batter Hurst will join for part of the tour. Notably, Chohan, who this week was selected for the England white-ball squad for their tour of the West Indies, is the first graduate of the successful South Asian Cricket Academy to be selected for an England squad.

Four players have previously been involved in England’s senior squads: Pat Brown, Josh Hull, Dan Mousley, and Dillon Pennington. Derbyshire seamer Brown represented England at T20 level, with the last of his four caps coming in November 2019. Leicestershire seamer Hull earned his England Test debut last month at The Kia Oval against Sri Lanka.

This tour will mark the first for newly appointed England Lions Head Coach Andrew Flintoff. The former England international and current coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, will lead the Lions over the next 12 months.
 
England Men’s Lions Head Coach, Andrew Flintoff, commented:

“We’re delighted to have such a high-potential group of players heading to South Africa. In selecting these players, we have a mix of well-established performers who’ve been in the England setup and excelled in the domestic game, through to some of the most exciting young talent coming through.

“The camp will support and accelerate the players’ development, provide insight into various aspects of the international setup and aid their transition into future performance setups”.

England Men’s Performance Director, Ed Barney, commented:

“Selection aligns with England’s short and long-term needs across all formats, and we will continue supporting a group of exciting pace bowlers. Over half the squad consists of seamers, reflecting our continued focus on supporting these players to achieve their potential.

“We are also excited about the competitive match opportunities, with a four-day fixture against South Africa A offering the opportunity for the squad to enjoy putting their skills on show against strong opposition.”

The full coaching and support staff will be announced shortly.

Jofra Archer selected for England's Tour of the West Indies

Sussex's Jofra Archer has been slected in the ODI and T20 squads for England's upcoming tour of the West Indies.

England will play three ODI's starting on 31st October before taking to the field for five T20 matches in November. Good luck, Jofra! 

Full ECB Announcement:

The England Men's selection panel has named a 14-player squad for the upcoming T20 and ODI series away to West Indies in October and November.

England Men’s squad:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire – Captain)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Dan Mousley (Warwickshire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Phil Salt (Lancashire)
Reece Topley (Surrey)
John Turner (Hampshire)

England Men’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler is set to return for the white-ball tour of West Indies later this month. Buttler missed the recent Vitality T20 and Metro Bank ODI Series against Australia as he continued his recovery from a calf injury.

Yorkshire leg-spinner Jafer Chohan earns his first England Men’s call-up and becomes the first graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy to be selected to an England Men's squad.

John Turner and Dan Mousley are the only other uncapped players. Both were a part of the recent white-ball squads against Australia, while Turner also toured the Caribbean last December.

An initial 14-player squad has been selected, which will be supplemented with two players from the Test squad in Pakistan. A decision on the two players to join the white-ball squad in the Caribbean is to be made after selection for the third Test in Rawalpindi, which begins on Thursday 24 October.

England Men will play West Indies Men in three ODIs and five T20s during the three-week tour of Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia.
   
2024 England Men’s white-ball tour of West Indies schedule:

CG United ODI Series
1st ODI: West Indies v England; Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua – Thursday 31 October (1800 GMT)
2nd ODI: West Indies v England; Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua – Saturday 2 November (1330 GMT)
3rd ODI: West Indies v England; Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – Wednesday 6 November (1800 GMT)

CG United T20 Series
1st T20: West Indies v England; Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – Saturday 9 November (2000 GMT)
2nd T20: West Indies v England; Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados – Sunday 10 November (2000 GMT)
3rd T20: West Indies v England; Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia – Thursday 14 November (2000 GMT)
4th T20: West Indies v England; Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia – Saturday 16 November (2000 GMT)
5th T20: West Indies v England; Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia – Sunday 17 November (2000 GMT)

Sussex Win Division Two Title

Tom Haines and James Coles both scored centuries as Sussex clinched the second division title on a day of celebrations at Hove.

Haines made 105 – his third hundred of the season – and Coles hit an unbeaten 132 as Sussex finished the season undefeated at the 1st Central County Ground after drawing with Middlesex.

They began the final day on 112 for two, needing to reach 250 and a fourth bonus point to ensure promotion as champions.

There was a slight sense of anti-climax shortly after lunch when Luke Hollman overstepped and the two no balls took Sussex to 250, but the celebrations out in the middle, where Coles and skipper John Simpson embraced warmly, and on the pavilion balcony showed what it meant as Sussex returned to Division One after a nine-year absence. 

Sussex finished 20 points clear of Yorkshire, having won eight of their 14 games. 

There had still been a bit of work to do at the start before the celebrations could begin and Haines and Tom Alsop settled any nerves by putting on 123 in 35 overs for the third wicket with few alarms. Alsop passed fifty for the eighth time this season and must have fancied his chances of converting it into a first hundred, only to mistime a pull off Josh De Caires to deep mid-wicket.

Haines reached a chanceless hundred – the 12th of his career - with a cut through backward point off Hollman for his 13th boundary only to fall just before lunch when he bottom-edged into his stumps to reward Hollman’s perseverance.

Once Sussex had achieved their objective the cricket not surprisingly lost any intensity. Ryan Higgins bowled off breaks instead of his usual medium-fast seamers, Luis du Plooy gave his left-arm tweakers an airing as Middlesex employed nine bowlers including Mark Stoneman, who sent down seven overs in his final game for the county, and wicketkeeper Jack Davies.

Not that Coles or Simpson were complaining too much as they built a fifth-wicket stand of 226 in 46 overs, beating the previous best against Middlesex set of 223 by Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara when the teams drew at Lord’s earlier in the season. 

Coles played aggressively, hitting six sixes and nine boundaries, clipping Hollman into the leg side to bring up his first hundred of the season. His unbeaten 132 came from just 150 balls while Simpson took his aggregate to 1197 runs at 74.81 with an undefeated 87. 

It was fitting that Simpson, whose five centuries as well as his leadership has been so crucial to Sussex’s success, was there when the players shook hands at 4.20pm with Sussex on 459 for 4. 

A few minutes later the celebrations could begin in earnest when the trophy was presented to him by another former Sussex captain Clare Connor, the managing director of England Womens Cricket.

Skipper John Simpson reacts to title victory

Sussex vs Middlesex: Day Three Match Report

Sam Robson’s superb 113 off 103 balls spearheaded Middlesex’s sprint to 271 all out from just 44.3 overs at Hove, with Sussex replying on a more sedate 112 for two in a Vitality County Championship match that lost its first seven sessions to bad weather.

Tom Haines’ secure unbeaten 53 steered Sussex through 33 overs in the later stages of a day blessed at last by early autumn sunshine, leaving them with the prospect of clinching the Division Two title on the final day of the season.

Fast bowler Tom Helm dismissed both Oli Carter for 15, caught and bowled top-edging an attempted pull, and Tom Clark, who snicked behind on 14, but Tom Alsop (11 not out) stayed with Haines until stumps.

The game finally got under way at 12.40pm on day three, following two inspections and an early lunch, and Robson led from the front as Middlesex tried to make up for lost time in a valiant effort to reach a position from which to push for an unlikely victory.

Middlesex had started the day still with an outside chance of promotion, needing to win in this final championship round while also requiring second-placed Yorkshire to lose against Northamptonshire. 

But Yorkshire’s three bowling and three batting bonus points at Headingley meant they go up alongside Division Two leaders Sussex – who now need just one batting point, or a draw in this game, to become second division champions.

Picking up three bowling bonus points, with young spinners Jack Carson and James Coles sharing seven wickets, left Sussex at stumps just 138 runs away from reaching 250 and that first batting point. Sussex have announced that all spectators will receive half-price entry on the final day, plus a voucher for a free drink. 

Robson’s hundred, the 36th of the former England Test opener’s fine first-class career, was his fourth of an excellent season and a chanceless innings of controlled aggression. The 35-year-old reached three figures off 87 balls and hit 15 fours.

With Ryan Higgins including three legside sixes in a 28-ball 40, Middlesex were at one stage 181 for three. But Higgins then swept slow left-armer Coles high to deep square leg, in the 29th over, and Middlesex’s first innings fell away despite every batsman attempting to maintain the attacking intent.

Coles finished with four for 61 while off spinner Carson’s three for 46 took him to 50 championship wickets for the season, the first time a Sussex spinner has reached that landmark since Monty Panesar’s haul of 53 in 2012.

Opening bowlers Ollie Robinson and Jaydev Unadkat claimed Middlesex’s first three wickets, with Robinson removing Mark Stoneman for 13 – courtesy of a diving low catch to his right at fourth slip by Haines – in his new ball spell of 7-0-21-1.

Indian left-armer Unadkat then replaced Robinson for his second spell from the Cromwell Road End, almost immediately bowling Max Holden off stump for 24 and later having Leus du Plooy (6) held after a juggle at first slip by Alsop.

By then Robson had completed a 51-ball fifty by straight driving Unadkat for four and Higgins’ arrival sparked a rollicking fourth wicket partnership of 78 from just 8.3 overs.

Coles, though, followed up his dismissal of Higgins by having Josh de Caires (1) well-held by Carson at deep square leg, who in the previous over had bowled Jack Davies through an attempted big drive for four.

After tea, taken at 208 for six from 36 overs, Robson swept Carson to deep backward square leg before Toby Roland-Jones (8) mishit Coles to mid off, Helm (7) was caught off Carson and Luke Hollman’s bright 34-ball 39 was ended when he was bowled swinging at Coles.

Report Provided by ECB Reporter's Network 

Reaction from Jack Carson at stumps on day three

Sussex vs Middlesex: Day Four Half Price and Free Drink Offer

Entry to the fourth and final day of the County Championship match between Sussex and Middlesex is half price and all spectators will be given a voucher for one free drink to celebrate promotion. 

Half-Price Entry

All tickets to tomorrow's game are half-price. We will also operate a open ground policy, so spectators can sit wherever they wish, including in the Pavilion.

Free Drink Offer

Members and every person who purchases a ticket will also be given a voucher upon entry for one free drink. This offer is limited to house lagers, wines, soft drinks or tea and coffee. 

Trophy Presentation

At the conclusion of the game, the Sussex players will be presented with a trophy for promotion, or for the Division Two title, should they claim the points needed! Come and celebrate an amazing season at Sussex, with half-price entry and a free drink!

How to Purchase Tickets

To get your tickets for tomorrow's celebrations either purchase them on the door or click here. 

Sussex vs Middlesex: Day Two Start Delayed

Due to further heavy rain day two of the match between Sussex and Middlesex has been abandoned. We will provide updates in the morning on the status of day three. 

Sussex Cricket Foundation Extends Thanks to Lancing Prep School for Outstanding Fundraising Efforts

The Sussex Cricket Foundation is thrilled to extend its gratitude to Lancing Prep School for its remarkable contribution to disability cricket in Sussex. 

On June 19th, we welcomed their Year 4 children to be the flag bearers and enjoy a match; and on August 28th, we welcomed the Lancing Prep School staff to our grounds to celebrate their extraordinary fundraising achievement.

Through their dedication and hard work, Lancing Prep School has raised an impressive £4,000 for the Sussex Cricket Foundation. This incredible feat was made possible by the determination of every child in the school who took part in a Charity Day which raised not only funds but also their awareness of how children with disabilities can access and enjoy our wonderful sport. Alongside this, ten of their staff undertook a challenging sponsored cycling journey from Hove to Paris. 

The children’s commitment to our charity, which was chosen by the pupils themselves, alongside the commitment and perseverance of the teachers in completing their challenging ride have made a significant impact on our foundation, supporting our mission to promote and develop disability cricket across Sussex.

The event on August 28th was an opportunity to personally thank the staff from Lancing Prep School for their exceptional efforts and to watch some cricket. The school’s fundraising not only demonstrates their passion for cricket but also their commitment to making a positive difference in our community.

The funds raised will directly support the Sussex Cricket Foundation's disability cricket programmes, aimed at fostering the growth of cricket at grassroots levels and providing opportunities for young players across Sussex.

We are incredibly grateful for Lancing Prep School’s support and commend their team and children for their dedication and hard work. 

Their achievement is a testament to the spirit of teamwork and community.

To learn more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation and how you can support our initiatives, please visit https://sussexcricket.co.uk/sussex-cricket-foundation  or contact us at foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk

Nathan McAndrew to Return in 2025

Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce that overseas seamer, Nathan McAndrew, will return once again to The 1st Central County Ground in 2025. 

The Australian right-armer will be available in June and July 2025 and will once again play in both the Vitality County Championship and T20 Vitality Blast.

McAndrew has taken 42 wickets in his 9 first-class appearances for Sussex and has also amassed 342 first-class runs, including two half-centuries. 

He has also take 21 T20 wickets and was a key part of the bowling attack that saw the Sharks secure a home quarter-final in this year’s Blast.

Speaking on returning for a third season, McAndrew said: ”I’m incredibly grateful to be coming back to Hove again. 

"This season was a special one to be a part of and I can’t wait to see how this team continues to develop and push for trophies.”

Sussex Head Coach, Paul Farbrace, added: “We are delighted that Nathan will be returning to Hove for the 2025 season, he has been fantastic for us in both forms over the last two seasons. 

"He brings a wealth of experience and sets very high standards around the group.” 

Sussex vs Middlesex: Match Preview

With promotion to Division One already secured, Sussex face Middlesex in the final game of the Vitality County Championship, needing just four points to win the title. The game gets underway tomorrow at The 1st Central County Ground and Paul Farbrace has named a 15-player squad for the match.

Squad

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Foreman, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Robinson, Simpson (c, wk), Unadkat

Team News

Daniel Hughes has been recalled by New South Wales. 

Trophy Presentation

If Sussex gain 4 points from the match, we will be crowned Division Two champions. If this does happen, a trophy presentation will happen at the conclusion of the match. 

Ticket Information

You can still purchase tickets to each of the first three days of the game, by visiting our ticketing website. If you are planning on coming to the game, we strongly advise that you purchase your tickets online as it not only saves you money, but also speeds up entry to the ground for everyone.

We hope you can join us for what will be a special final game, in a special season. #GOSBTS

Club Shop

For the final weekend of the season, we will be giving 10% off all items in the Club Shop on Saturday and Sunday. Pop in and pick up a bargain! 

Can't make the game?

If you can't make it down to Hove to see Sussex, you don't have to miss out. You can watch every ball, free of charge on our livestream, via the Match Day Centre. The first ball at each day is at 1030am. 

The 1st Central County Ground to Host the 

Incredible Drone Light Show: A Christmas Carol

This Christmas The 1st Central County Ground will host a spectacular night like no other. Witness Charles Dickens’ timeless Christmas classic come to life this December in a way never seen before in a captivating new animated drone light show. 

Witness Charles Dickens’ timeless Christmas classic come to life in the night sky for a captivating new animated drone light show, narrated by Matt Lucas.

A Christmas Carol, the drone light show, presents the very latest in creative entertainment with a magical celebration of the Christmas spirit. 

Witness famous characters brought to life in the sky, as you’re taken on a heart-warming narrated journey through the immortal tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve and his ghostly visitors who lead him to profound transformation.

A Christmas Carol, an epic drone light show which promises to take audiences on a mesmerising journey through Christmas’s past, present and future, will take place on Saturday 14th December 2024. 

The event is brought to you by Celestial (creators of drone light shows for brands across the globe) Yuup, (the local experiences company) and venue partner The 1st Central County Ground, home of Sussex Cricket. 

Have an unforgettable time with your friends and family. Enjoy magic in the sky, festive favourites in the food village and a world-class stadium experience at The 1st Central County Ground stadium where every seat is a front row view to the world’s biggest stage – the sky.

Show timings:

Early show:

• Gates open: 16:00
• Food village opens and DJ starts: 16:00
• Show starts: 17:30
• Show ends: 18:15
• Gates close: 18:30

Late show:

• Gates open: 19:30
• Food village opens and DJ starts: 19:30
• Show starts: 21:00
• Show ends: 21:45
• Gates closes: 22:30

A Christmas Carol, the drone light show will take place at The 1st Central County Ground, Brighton, doors will open 2 hours prior to the show so that you can enjoy the food and preshow build up!

What to expect:

• This is a 45-minute drone light show experience.
• A heart-warming and wonderfully festive animated drone light show with captivating narration and soundtrack.
• Food village and refreshment stalls from independent traders.
• Music and fun festive preshow build up.
• A Christmas Carol, the drone light show is a family-friendly, disability-accessible event.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here.