England U19s to Host Sri Lanka at 

The 1st Central County Ground in July 

The ECB have today confirmed that England U19s will now take on Sri Lanka U19s in back to back Youth ODI's at The 1st Central County Ground on 1st and 3rd of July, having previously been scheduled to face India U19s.

Tickets to both games are free of charge, if you have already claimed yours, there is no need to take any action, existing tickets will still be valid. 

If you haven't claimed your free tickets to see international cricket at Hove this summer, you can do so by visiting our ticketing website.

Full ECB Press Release

Middlesex vs Sussex: Day Four Match Report

Middlesex and Sussex maintained their status as Vitality County Championship Division Two promotion front-runners as their match at Lord’s petered out into a draw.

It looked inevitable that the spoils would be shared once the home side had avoided the follow-on early on the final day and they went on to post 613 for nine declared in reply to Sussex’s total of 554 for nine.

Nathan Fernandes missed out on a century by nine runs, while Jack Davies struck a career-best 68 and Henry Brookes registered his first half-century as a Middlesex player, with off-spinner Jack Carson taking four for 166.

Captains Leus du Plooy and John Simpson shook hands at 4.50pm, with the draw enabling Sussex to increase their advantage at the top to eight points over Middlesex, who remain in second place.

Any faint prospect of a positive outcome essentially disappeared as early as the third over of the morning, when Fernandes clipped Fynn Hudson-Prentice for two to steer Middlesex past the follow-on target of 405.

With their over rate in negative territory the previous evening, Sussex were soon utilising spin at both ends and the seventh-wicket pair continued to chip away at the deficit as they built a partnership of 119.

Having swept Carson over the short boundary for six, Davies overtook his previous best of 65, but added just three more before he was out in the off-spinner’s next over to a ball that turned away from him and took the edge.

Fernandes looked assured against both seam and spin, cutting and sweeping confidently to usher his side’s total beyond 500 and move within range of what would have been a second first-class century.

The left-hander gained a reprieve when he was put down at backward square leg, pulling a short ball from Tom Clark – but he failed to take advantage, repeating the stroke to the next delivery and this time James Coles dived to take a tumbling catch in the deep.

The remainder of the afternoon largely involved batting practice for the Middlesex tail, with Sussex deploying nine bowlers and at one stage setting a field with all nine men ranged in a semi-circle on the off side.

Luke Hollman shared a sedate ninth-wicket partnership of 65 with Brookes, which eventually came to an end when the left-hander was bowled around his legs by Ollie Robinson’s slower ball.

However, Brookes completed his half-century – the sixth of his career – after tea, finishing 52 not out as he and Ethan Bamber steered Middlesex to the 12th highest total in their history

Report provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Paul Farbrace after the draw at Lord's

Berkshire Women vs Sussex Women: Match Report

Sussex Women cruised to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Berkshire Women in their first T20 match of the season. Sussex's second match of the day against Bucks Women was abandoned due to rain after just seven overs. 

Sussex skipper Chiara Green won the toss and elected to put Berkshire into bat and she could have no complaints about the way in which the bowling attack went about their business.

It was a dominant display of bowling from the visitors which resulted in only one of the Berkshire batters making it into double figures.

Regina Suddahazai Khan was the pick of the Sussex bowlers, with her two wickets from three overs only conceded six runs. 

The rest of the wickets were shared around the attack, with Daisy Gibb, Millie Taylor, Beth Harvey and Chiara Green all making vital contributions to restrict Berkshire to just 60-9 from their 20 overs. 

Although Sussex managed to reach their target in 14.5 overs, it wasn't all plain sailing. Sussex lost 5 wickets but in the end comfortably completed the task at hand. 

Opener Izzy Collis (21) top scored with the bat and had valuable support from Millie Adams (19), sister of Sussex's Georgia Adams.

To view the full scorecard, visit the Sussex Women's Play Cricket website. 

Photo credit: Saud Ahmed

Middlesex vs Sussex: Day Three Match Report

Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins continued their fine form with centuries as Middlesex’s run-fest of a game with visitors Sussex continued on day three at Lord’s.

Robson underpinned the hosts response to Sussex’s mammoth 554-9 with 136, the 35th first-class hundred of his career, while Higgins added the flair his third century of the campaign – an effort of 106 in Middlesex’s total of 403-6.

Sussex, for whom Jack Carson returned figures of 3-89 will rue dropping Robson twice on 51 and 129, while Higgins was also given a life on 67, England seamer Ollie Robinson the unlucky bowler on each occasion. 

Given Robson’s heroics it’s important to reflect he may have departed the scene in the opening over of the day. Responding to a call from partner Holden for an injudicious single, the right-hander running to the striker’s end would have been gone for all money given a direct hit. It set the tone for some sketchy running by the opener who suffered at least two other close calls.

Robson’s driving however, whether square or through the covers was exquisite, one such stroke taking him to his half-century. The landmark came amid a testing morning burst from Robinson, Robson surviving a confident lbw shout from one which was just going over the top before Clark grassed the first of the two chances offered a slip, a tough one, but an expensive miss nonetheless. 

At the other end, Max Holden, a man revitalised this season moved to 50 with a minimum of fuss, helped by five boundaries, allowing the pair to steer the hosts to lunch at 140-1.

Holden however, as on a few occasions this year fell soon after a resumption when the ball after dancing down the pitch to strike Jack Carson back over his head for four, he flashed at a wide one from the spinner to be caught at slip for 61.

Leus Du Plooy’s contribution was brisk but brief, the acting captain paddling an innocuous ball wide of leg stump from Jaden Seales straight down the throat of long leg.

Robson though found another ally in the form of all-rounder Higgins who came out as ever bristling aggression, reverse sweeping Carson for four before playing the shot in the more orthodox fashion for the first six of the innings into the Grandstand. 

Robson meanwhile crunched his 14th four through cover to raise his hundred as the stand realised 79 by tea. The opener was given a second life shortly after the restart, Clark again the culprit at slip, Robinson again the unlucky bowler. Clark beat the ground in frustration, but the second top at least didn’t prove costly as Robson fell to the new ball, chipping a tired shot straight to mid-wicket. 

Higgins continued to be aggressive while Robinson continued to curse his luck. The seamer first found the inside edge of the Zimbabwean’s bat only for the ball to trickle onto the stumps without dislodging the bails, before Higgins flashed hard at a wide one on 67 to be reprieved again as James Coles failed to cling on at third slip. 

That scare survived and with the luckless Robinson finally retreating into the outfield Higgins forged on, striking Coles for successive boundaries to reach his hundred, before dancing down the pitch to Carson and missing the ball to be stumped by John Simpson. 

Tom Helm promoted to seven fell only two balls later in identical fashion to cause a few nerves, but 20-year-old Nathan Fernandes underlined his promise with a composed unbeaten 50 to leave the hosts just two short of the follow-on figure of 405 at stumps.

Report provided by ECB Reporters' Network 

Reaction from John Simpson at stumps on day three 

Middlesex vs Sussex: Day Two Match Report

John Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara completed centuries on a day when Sussex re-wrote their record books not once but twice as they continued to dominate this Vitality County Championship clash with hosts Middlesex at Lord’s.

Simpson, who made 10 centuries in 15 years with the Seaxes, got the second of his short tenure as Sussex skipper, eventually making 167 and Pujara posted 129 in a score of 554-9 that eclipsed their previous best against the hosts of 550-9 at Hove in 1980.

Simpson and Pujara shared a stand of 223 for the 5th wicket to erase the previous best against Middlesex of 216 by Kepler Wessels and Colin Wells in that same match 34 years ago.

Middlesex for whom Ethan Bamber took 3-114, lost Mark Stoneman early in their reply, but Sam Robson, unbeaten on 40 and Max Holden saw them through to stumps at 62-1 without further alarm. They will require a further 343 on day three to avoid the follow-on.

Resuming on 295-4, Sussex were obviously conscious of head coach Paul Farbrace’s words at close the night before about not undoing the good work of day one as Pujara and Simpson adopted a cautious approach, so much so, only eight runs came in the first 10 overs.

Pujara, in the last game of his latest stint at Hove, 91 not out overnight, took 43 minutes to add to his score, though in truth  he never looked ruffled by his lack of progress. 

The Indian Test veteran won the race to 100, pulling a short ball from Henry Brookes to the fence behind square, but with three overs to go until the 110-over cut-off for bonus points, the visitors were still some way short of 350.

The fact they got there was down to Simpson, who skated through the 90s with a trio of boundaries, two back passed the bowler and a third caressed deliciously through extra cover to take him to his 12th first-class century. Even so, Sussex needed a no-ball from Brookes off what should have been the final ball of the 110th to glean the third batting bonus-point.

The efforts of Wessels and Wells were consigned to history shortly before lunch, but the stand ended within four balls of the resumption, Pujara hitting a full toss from Nathan Fernandes straight into the hands of Stoneman at mid-wicket.

If we were expecting a full-on push towards a declaration it didn’t materialise in an afternoon which meandered along with a distinct lack of tempo. 

Fynn Hudson-Prentice tried to press the go button only to get too far leg-side of a long-hop from Luke Hollman and feather it through to Jack Davies. 

As Middlesex adopted a defensive pose in the field, daring Sussex to force the pace, Simpson, who survived playing a Hollman delivery into his helmet, continued his steady accumulation to pass 150.

He fell to almost his first attempt at something unorthodox, Bamber pegging back his leg stump after he missed an attempted scoop.

Danny Lamb tried nothing as extravagant in a painstaking 49 before chipping one back to the persevering Hollman an act which finally provoked a declaration.

Middlesex dragged tired bodies and minds off the field and the suspicion was England seamer Ollie Robinson, who’d made a sprightly unbeaten 22 and Division Two’s leading wicket taker at the start of the round, Jayden Seales may be a tricky prospect in the 19 overs that remained. 

Robinson, bowling from the Pavilion End beat the outside edge of Mark Stoneman’s bat four times in one over before getting the nick in his next set of six to send the former England opener packing for four. 

Report provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Cheteshwar Pujara after another incredible century

Middlesex vs Sussex: Day One Match Report

Cheteshwar Pujara plundered runs against Middlesex’s bowling attack yet again as Sussex posted 295 for four after being inserted in the battle between the top two sides in Vitality County Championship Division Two.

The India Test veteran, who scored 231 on Sussex’s last visit to Lord’s in 2022 – along with a century against Middlesex at Hove earlier that year – ended the opening day unbeaten on 91.

Pujara’s patient knock formed part of an unbroken stand of 131 with his captain and ex-Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson, who struck 71 not out on his return to the county where he spent 15 seasons.

Ethan Bamber claimed two wickets for the home side, with Ryan Higgins and Henry Brookes taking one apiece.

Middlesex’s decision to bowl after winning the toss initially looked questionable as Tom Clark and Tom Haines bustled along at around five an over, with the latter dispatching five consecutive Bamber deliveries to the rope.

Bamber was hastily switched to his preferred Nursery End and, despite Haines immediately drilling him to the cover fence once more, he had the final say by bowling the Sussex man through the gate for 40.

That broke the opening partnership of 66 and slowed the scoring rate significantly as the home side claimed two more wickets before lunch, with Higgins having Clark caught behind off a bottom edge.

Having also seen Tom Alsop put down off his bowling in the cordon, Higgins then pulled off a blinding catch when the left-hander edged Brookes to third slip, twisting to his left to clasp a sharp chance just above the turf.

Higgins, whose first delivery to Pujara beat the bat, also tested the 36-year-old with the occasional bouncer before he settled down to make steady progress with James Coles in a partnership of 72 after lunch.

Coles was eventually undone when Bamber had him caught behind for 33 and the bowler found a consistent line against former team-mate Simpson, back at Lord’s for the first time since his switch to Hove.

Despite some early playing and missing, Simpson settled down with a classy cover-driven boundary off Brookes, keeping Pujara company while he advanced beyond his half-century for the third time this season.

Middlesex rotated their seam quartet, all of whom bowled from each end at some stage and it took them until three overs before tea to introduce spinners Nathan Fernandes and Luke Hollman into the attack.

It looked as though that move had paid off early in the final session when Simpson, on 25, slapped a full toss from Hollman straight to Max Holden in the deep – only for the umpire to signal a no-ball.

The Sussex skipper capitalised on that escape, dancing down the track to slam Hollman to the boundary and chopping him through gully for two to secure the visitors’ first batting bonus point.

There was another let-off for Simpson soon after passing 50, fencing a rising delivery from Tom Helm to gully, where Hollman was unable to cling on – and the visitors continued to build a strong platform until bad light ended play with six overs unbowled.

Report provided by ECB Reporter's Network

Photo credit: Saud Ahmed

Reaction from Paul Farbrace at stumps on day one 

Sussex Sharks vs National Counties XI: Spectator Information

On Wednesday 29th May the Sussex Sharks return to T20 action with a warm-up game against the National Counties XI, ahead of the Blast campaign beginning on Friday 31st May. Here is all the information you need if you're planning on attending the game.

Gate Information 

Both the main entrance (Eaton Road) and North gate will be open for spectators from 5:30pm. The action gets underway at 7pm. 

Free Entry

Entry to this game is absolutely free of charge, however you must claim your free ticket(s) online ahead of the game. All you have to do is visit our ticketing website to claim yours. 

Sussex Cricket Foundation Donation

As the game is free of charge we would like to encourage spectators to make a small donation to the Sussex Cricket Foundation. This can be done when claiming your free ticket online, through the ticketing website.

Any donation you can manage is greatly appreciated and will help to continue the great work the Foundation carries out in the County. Find out more by visiting their website.

Food & Drink

Although a friendly fixture, the same ground regulations apply as they would for a normal T20 Blast fixture. Spectators are NOT permitted to bring alcohol into the ground for this game. 

Plenty of food and drink concessions will be available throughout the game.

Cashless Venue

We’d like to remind all spectators that The 1st Central County Ground is now a cashless venue. This means that only card or contactless payments will be accepted (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) throughout our venue. 

Middlesex vs Sussex: Match Preview

This week Sussex travel up the road to the Home of Cricket, in an early season top of the table clash against Middlesex. Paul Farbrace has named a 13-player squad for the trip to Lord's.

Team news

Jayden Seales returns to the squad following his omission last week due to a tight groin. 

Squad

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hunt, Lamb, Pujara, Robinson, Seales, Simpson* (wk)

How to Watch

As ever, every ball is available to watch, free of charge, on our livestream via our Match Centre. Action gets underway from 11am tomorrow. 

Photo credit: Saud Ahmed

Reaction from John Simpson after last week's dramatic win over Yorkshire

Historic DIScoverABILITY Day Delivers Again

The Sussex Cricket Foundation once again held its show-stopping disability cricket inclusion event – DIScoverABILITY Day – on Friday 10th May at The 1st Central County Ground, with 850 participants and volunteers taking to the pitch at Hove for an afternoon of action-packed fun and games. 

The spectacular event, sponsored by Webtrends Optimize, saw over 700 participants joined by 150 volunteers in beautiful Sussex sunshine to take part in a wide range of different ball games at the famous home of the Sussex Cricket professional team.

Sports leaders from local secondary schools across the city escorted participants around different zones across the pitch, providing activities such as table cricket, football, wheelchair rugby, mini-golf and Sid the Shark’s Big Hit Challenge. 

Sid and Sandy themselves made an appearance, along with Sussex stars Tymal Mills, Brad Currie, Bertie Foreman and Archie Lenham.

Raquel Oliveria, Optimisation Consultant at Webtrends Optimize, the sponsors of the event, said: “This is the third time now that I and the Webtrends Optimize team have helped at DIScoverABILITY Day and it’s such an amazing experience. 

“It’s so rewarding to see how just much the kids all love the various games and being able to play on the Sussex Cricket pitch - and it’s so much fun for us too. Can’t wait for next year!”

Maria Cook, Chairperson of Crawley Autism Support and mother of Super 1s participant, Ryan, added: “What more could a cricket fan ask for than three consecutive days of fun in the sun celebrating the wonders of disability cricket?!

“The annual DIScoverABILITY Day saw hundred of people with significant difficulties and their carers/teachers/classroom assistants participate in lots of excellent activities on the outfield.

“I was lucky enough to take Ryan once again and he had such a fantastic day.”

DIScoverABILITY Day also preceded back-to-back disability cricket fixtures at The 1st Central County Ground, with both the Sussex Sharks VI and Sussex Sharks D40 teams competing on the hallowed turf at Hove over the weekend. This is the first time any county has staged a weekend dedicated to disability cricket.

It was a resounding success for both sides, with the Sussex Sharks VI team beating Northants Steelbacks in a rescheduled 2023 cup final to lift the BCEW Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Cup, whilst the Sussex Sharks D40 team beat Lancashire by 9 wickets in their D40 Quest league fixture. 

Sussex Head Coach, Paul Farbrace gave congratulations to all involved across the weekend: “Many congratulations on a fantastic festival of cricket, it shows that we really are one team one club and that if you want to be involved in this great, and at times frustrating game, then Sussex is the place to be. 

“There are so many good things happening around the club, and so many amazing people making a brilliant contribution to the enjoyment of so many.”

The Sussex Cricket Foundation would like to thank Webtrends Optimize for sponsoring the event, and for their continued support to our County Disability Cricket teams.

To find out more about disability cricket in Sussex, please contact Tom Belcher (Disability Cricket Manager) at tom.belcher@sussexcricket.co.uk or visit https://sussexcricket.co.uk/disability-cricket 

Spectator Information: Sharks T20 2nd XI Friendlies

This week the Sussex Sharks 2nd XI will compete in three fixtures at two venues, Horsham Cricket Club and Arundel Castle Cricket Club.

Tuesday 21st May

The Sharks 2nd XI take on Surrey 2nd XI in a T20 match at Horsham Cricket Club. Entry is free and a small amount of onsite parking is available. 

Wednesday 22nd May 

The Sharks 2nd XI are back at Horsham again, this time to face Essex 2nd XI in another T20 match.

Thursday 23rd May

The third match will be played at Arundel Castle Cricket Club against Hampshire 2nd XI. Entry is free, however there is a £5 charge for onsite parking. 

Each of the three games start at 2pm.