Sussex Cricket can confirm that a friendly against Worcestershire has been added to their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2026 season.

The two-day friendly against the Pears will take place on Sunday, 22 and Monday 23 March, with play starting at 11am both days.

This additional fixture will be the second of four friendlies at Hove, with fixtures against Kent, Durham and Hampshire already confirmed.

Entry to all these friendlies will be free, with no tickets required.

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Three Inspiring Cricket Journeys

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the incredible women and girls who make cricket in Sussex a vibrant, welcoming community. Whether through leading on the field, scoring behind the scenes or coaching the next generation, their stories show that cricket is a game for everyone.

Today, we’re spotlighting three amazing females involved in cricket, each sharing their journey in full on the Sussex Cricket Foundation social channels, so you can hear their stories in their own words.

Chiara Green: Sussex Women’s Captain

In her International Women’s Day video, Chiara reflects on what wearing the Sussex badge means to her - representing her county, her teammates and the journey that began at her local state school. She also shares how she never expected to play at this level and how opportunities helped shape her pathway.

Chiara speaks passionately about why now is such an exciting time for Women’s Cricket. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England & Wales ahead, she believes the momentum is only just beginning and the game can thrive off the kind of support that the Women’s Football and Rugby teams have received in recent years.

Watch Chiara’s full story on our socials here.

Watch the Sussex Sharks Women & England Women in action this summer: Sussex Women's Fixtures & ICC Women's T20 World Cup Fixtures

Ellen Camp: Young Scorer at Slinfold CC

Ellen’s feature highlights a different but equally vital pathway into cricket: scoring. In her video, she shares how stepping behind the scorebook has helped her find confidence and belonging, plus a new perspective on the sport.

As a young scorer at Slinfold CC, she discovered that cricket isn’t just about batting or bowling, there are countless roles that make the game possible. Ellen wants more women and girls to experience how rewarding volunteering can be, even if they’ve never played before.

Watch Ellen’s journey into scoring on our socials here.

Explore scoring & umpiring with the brand-new free ECB Online Courses here.

Cherry Taylor: A Lifelong Love of Cricket

Cherry’s story is a heartfelt reminder of how early experiences can shape a lifelong love of the game.

Her journey began in childhood at Mountfield Village Cricket Ground, where her dad captained the local team. She spent countless hours helping him mow the square, roll the wicket and prepare the ground. She was the only girl eager to join the coaching sessions he arranged, but that didn’t stop her.

At secondary school, despite cricket not being offered to girls, her teachers encouraged her to train with the boys, selected her for school teams and supported her all the way to Sussex trials. That support also led her to join an after‑school cricket club run by former England Women’s wicketkeeper Shirley Hodges, a key figure in her development.

By 15, Cherry was selected for the Sussex Under 19 Women's team and later played for Brighton & Hove Women - at the time, the only women’s team in East Sussex.

After stepping back from the sport to raise her family, Cherry returned with a renewed passion for coaching. She completed her first coaching qualification in the 1980s but found new inspiration years later when Robertsbridge Cricket Club approached her. Women at the club wanted to develop their skills and create more opportunities to play and Cherry stepped in to help.

From winter coaching sessions in 2021 to entering the Sussex Women’s Soft Ball League, achieving division wins and reaching county finals, Cherry has become central to a growing community of women and girls discovering cricket for the first time.

She completed her Level 1 coaching qualification in 2023, her Level 2 in 2025 and now plays a key role in delivering All Stars Cricket sessions, supporting the thriving women’s & girls’ section, and organising new indoor fixtures for local teams.

Her passion is simple and inspiring:

“I love being able to help promote the great game of cricket to women and girls. It is very rewarding to see them develop their skills, have fun, and enjoyment of the game.”

Discover Cherry’s story on our socials here.

Want to get involved in coaching? We have an ECB Female-Only Foundation Course coming up later this summer: Express Your Interest

Your Turn: Start Your Cricket Journey

Feeling inspired? Whether you want to play, coach, score or simply get involved, there’s a place for everyone in cricket.

For more information or to find your local opportunities, please get in touch with our Women & Girls / Diverse Communities Manager: ayscha.woods@sussexcricket.co.uk

Don't forget to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with everything Recreational Cricket in Sussex.

The Sussex Cricket Museum is proud to be jointly publishing this new book on the life and cricketing times of former Sussex player, Derek Semmence.

The book, priced at £12, will be on sale at The Martlets dinner today (Friday, 6th March). Copies will also be available to purchase in the Museum.

For more of our publications, and to learn more about the Sussex Cricket Museum, visit their website here: https://sussexcricketmuseum.org.uk/

Sussex Cricket Foundation announce partnership with Ludimos

The Sussex Cricket Foundation are delighted to announce a new partnership with cricket coaching platform, Ludimos, initially on a 1 year agreement with a view to a longer-term partnership.

Ludimos makes cricket coaching smarter and records training with ease, review ball-by-ball performance, and refine player skills with data-backed insights, helping coaches and clubs deliver results that matter.

The partnership will see the technology used in the Foundation Early Years Development Pathway Programme (U9s-U12s) and in the ground-breaking state secondary school cricket programme, Breaking Boundaries to help aid player development.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Head of the Sussex Cricket Foundation “I am delighted to be partnering with Ludimos and working closely with Madan and Gareth to help add value to our programmes. The technology adds another exciting dimension to our programmes and will help with the development of players and coaches both in state schools and our pathway”

Matt Parsons, who leads both programmes added “Having played with the platform and its numerous features, Ludimos will easily allow us to not only create a data bank for all our young players over an extended period of time but allow us to provide more regular and visible feedback. This will not only help us track and support our young players better but equally help us to uncover previously untapped talent and support our efforts in broadening the reach of the game across the County.”

As part of the partnership, Ludimos will be offering their services to the Foundation's affiliated club network with a special offer that will see 10% of any club purchases reimbursed back to the Foundation to help support growth of cricket across Sussex.

Gareth Lautenberg who leads Ludimos’s growth added;

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the Sussex Cricket Foundation. From the outset, it was clear there’s a strong commitment to innovation and widening access to cricket across the county. Bringing Ludimos into both the Early Years Development Pathway and the Breaking Boundaries programme is hugely exciting. Our platform supports coaches with simple, ball-by-ball insights and structured feedback. Together, we’re raising standards, supporting coaches and giving more young cricketers the opportunity to reach their potential.”

To learn more about Ludimos please visit their website - www.ludimos.com

To learn more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation please view their latest Impact Report and video - click here

Free Entry Days Return to Hove for 2026

Sussex Cricket is delighted to offer a further three FREE Vitality County Championship days of cricket for the forthcoming campaign season. 

Entry will be free of charge to all spectators on day three of our home matches at Hove with Warwickshire (12 April), Hampshire (21 June) and Somerset (29 August) 

Having opened the gates to thousands of spectators in years gone by, Sussex are once again making all tickets free of charge for three days of cricket this season.

Claiming your free tickets are easy: just visit our ticketing website now to grab yours. 

Please note: It is important you claim yours in advance, as this will help to reduce queues upon entry.

Sussex Cricket Announces Official Partnership with Ardingly College

Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce a new partnership with Ardingly College, a collaboration designed to widen access to outstanding cricket facilities and opportunities for young people across the County. 

The partnership is built around a shared commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and long-term growth, providing year-round access to high-quality cricket facilities for children from both state and independent education. 

It aims to remove historic barriers to participation and help create a more representative and sustainable future for the game in Sussex.

A key focus of the agreement is its support to the Sussex Cricket Foundation, where the outstanding facilities at Ardingly College will be used to host various events for state primary and secondary schools, as well as support ongoing programmes and initiatives to continue growing the game and making it accessible to all.

Central to the partnership is Ardingly College’s headline sponsorship and support for Blackstone Academy Cricket Ground, a vital hub for cricket in Sussex. 

Blackstone hosts a large proportion of the county’s junior pathway cricket for boys and girls, academy teams, Second XI cricket, and a wide range of grassroots, participation and disability cricket, underlining Sussex Cricket’s commitment to ensuring the game is accessible to all.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Director for the Sussex Cricket Foundation, “We are delighted to welcome Ardingly College to the Sussex Cricket family and as headline sponsors of our Academy Ground at Blackstone. This partnership will help support the development of cricket across the County for all ages, abilities and genders. We are particularly excited about the support it will provide to State Schools and our exciting plans to revolutionise cricket in primary and secondary schools”.

Ben Figgis, Headmaster at Ardingly College, “Our partnership with Sussex Cricket marks an exciting new chapter for cricket at Ardingly and builds on our long-standing relationship with the County club. Old Ardinian Tom Clark is the most recent cricketer in a long and distinguished line of former Ardingly students to represent Sussex, and we are proud of the strong connections that already exist between our communities. This new partnership will take that relationship to the next level.”

“This partnership also reflects the College’s firm commitment to developing our cricket programme for both boys and girls, supported by a team of professional cricket coaches and ongoing investment in enhanced facilities, including a fantastic new net facility. Importantly, this collaboration aligns with our aim to widen access and create meaningful cricketing opportunities for young people across Sussex.”

“We look forward to working closely with Sussex Cricket to strengthen pathways, nurture talent, and support the growth of the game at every level.”

The partnership comes into effect immediately and marks an exciting step forward for cricket across Sussex.

It's been a long winter. Yet as the sun slips through and the temperature rises, the thought of playing cricket again doesn't feel quite as unrealistic as previously thought. We're only a few weeks away until we host Kent in our opening pre-season fixture, but in countries far away a few Sussex representatives continue to play. It's March, it's Monday; the penultimate edition of Winter Watch is here.

Jofra Archer

Four weeks later, and we've reached the World Cup semi-finals. And it's a rather large beast that Archer and England will have to navigate if they are to reach Sunday's Final: India. 

But it's been a campaign that has seemed to improve with each passing game. Three victories from as many matches in the Super 8s phase of the competition, with Archer featuring throughout. Since the last Winter Watch they have beaten both Pakistan and New Zealand, with the Sussex quick taking two wickets but bowling particularly economically in both to help set up Thursday's semi-final with India (1.30pm GMT).

Anna Buckle

A final outing of the winter for Buckle, and she saved her most economical outing for it. A victory, too, in what has been a brilliantly successful winter for the seamer out in Sydney - culminating in a crushing win over Penrith.

Skittling the hosts for 100 in this One Day match, Buckle's seven overs with the ball went for just seven runs. Throw in a wicket as well and this was a performance of pure prominence and skill. She returns to England next weekend as preparations for our women's team begin to ramp up.

James Coles

Over in Abu Dhabi, Coles settled swiftly back into the England Lions setup, with some outstanding showings with both bat and ball in their opening four matches with Pakistan Shaheens. 

A 3-0 series win in the T20s, they then followed that up with a victory in the opening One Day match - the first of a scheduled five. However, due to the ongoing unrest in the area, yesterday's scheduled fixture was cancelled, with an unsurprising question mark looming over the rest of the series. 

And as Coles' winter may just have drawn to a close, it has been a quite remarkable few months for the all-rounder who'll return to Sussex soon ahead of the fresh County Championship campaign. 

Dan Hughes

It's been some time since our previous Dan Hughes update - who will be with us for the duration of this forthcoming season - following a successful stint in the BBL this winter. Since its conclusion he's been back playing at Eastern Suburbs, and he's earned some silverware in the process.

Lifting the First Grade Limited-Overs Cup, Hughes excelled with the bat: 141 from 124 deliveries. This was comfortably his finest stint in the middle this winter in what propelled his side to a 42-run win over Fairfield-Liverpool. Hughes will be landing in England soon ahead of the new season, and he arrives in fine form following a busy yet profitable winter in Australia.

Dan Ibrahim

A tricky outing last week was soon forgotten after Ibrahim batted resiliently for his Central HB side on Saturday, grinding out an unbeaten 56* albeit in defeat to Havelock North. With the ball he picked up a wicket, but it was his team's top score with the bat that ultimately gave Ibrahim the credit this past weekend.

George Thomas

A second defeat in a row for Thomas' Cornwall over in New Zealand, with the Sussex all-rounder opening the batting here in his side's loss to Napier Old Boys. 8 runs off the bat, he'd have heightened success with the ball this time around, picking up a wicket in his six-over spell. 

Update from Paul Farbrace

Last week, we sat down with Head Coach Paul Farbrace to discuss a difficult winter period. In this interview, he provides an in-depth view into our recent points deductions, an update on the squad, captaincy changes and a look ahead to forthcoming pre-season schedule. This can be viewed here on our YouTube channel.

Whilst on the topic of Sussex players abroad, a healthy-sized cohort have travelled to South Africa for some warm winter training. Having flown out last week, they will return in roughly 10 days ahead of our opening pre-season fixture on Thursday, 19 March.

Three Inspiring Days of Table Cricket Light Up Hove

Last month, the Sussex Cricket Foundation hosted three vibrant and action‑packed Table Cricket Festivals at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove, utilising both the Dean Wilson Boundary Rooms and the Aerotron Indoor School to welcome participants from across the county.

Table Cricket is an adapted, inclusive format of the sport, which provides young people with disabilities the opportunity to play, compete and experience Cricket in an exciting and accessible way. Played on a table tennis table with teams of six, the game blends strategy, skill and teamwork. Bowlers deliver the ball using a ramp, towards the batter, who tries to hit into scoring zones while avoiding the fielders positioned around the table.

These festivals have become very special days in the Foundation’s calendar and always provide unforgettable memories for the participants and staff alike. This year’s events featured 120 participants made up of 18 teams from 12 SEND and ALN schools across Sussex.

Each festival day was structured to support participants with different levels of additional needs. Schools were grouped so that players could compete alongside others with similar support requirements, creating the best possible environment for enjoyment and success. With the first two days focused on neurodivergent participants and those with additional learning needs and the third day primarily for young people with physical disabilities who require the most complex support, helping to ensure that they could participate fully in a setting tailored to their needs.

Day 3 participants were also treated to a special visit from Paul Farbrace, Director of Cricket and Head Coach of the Sussex Men’s team!

Helping the days run smoothly were five young leaders, who supported the Foundation’s community coaching team with umpiring and scoring, developing their leadership skills along the way.

Adding an extra layer of excitement, this year saw the first‑ever use of our illuminated Table Cricket table, bringing a heightened sensory experience and more interactive feel to the festivals.

Tom Belcher, Disability Cricket Manager for the Sussex Cricket Foundation added: 

“It’s been a fantastic three days of competition, and everyones’ enthusiasm for the new illuminated table has been brilliant. A huge thank you to all the schools involved, and best of luck to the teams heading to the Regional Finals.”

After some hard-fought competition, three standout schools secured their places in the Lord’s Taverners Regional Finals. Congratulations to Shoreham Academy, Manor Green College and The Angmering School (Lavinia Norfolk Centre), who now go on to represent Sussex in March at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley.

Thank you to everyone who took part and good luck to all three teams as they progress to the next stage. 

If you would like to find out more about our Disability Cricket programmes and school provision available in the SEND and ALN sector, please contact: disabilitycricket@sussexcricket.co.uk or visit our website.

T20 Mascot Competition Returns for 2026

The Sussex Cricket Foundation is delighted to announce the return of our T20 Blast Mascot Competition for the 2026 season. This exciting opportunity gives young fans the chance to experience match day like never before and get closer to the action at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove.

This year’s competition is open exclusively for Sussex Sharks Men’s Vitality Blast fixtures, offering a unique once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience for our selected mascots to experience a Sharks match day.

What’s Included in the Mascot Experience?

Successful applicants will enjoy a memorable match day package, including:

• Sussex Cricket Goody Bag
• Sussex Sharks T20 shirt
• Meet‑and‑greet with a Sussex player
• Pitch‑side access to watch the team warm up
• Professional photos taken with players
• Join the captains for the official coin toss
• Take part in the guard of honour alongside our flagbearers

This is the perfect opportunity for young supporters to step into the heart of the action and create unforgettable memories.

How to Apply

Applications are now open. To be considered, please complete the online form: T20 Mascot Competition Form – Fill in form

Deadline for Entries

All applications must be submitted by Friday 27th March.