Sussex Sharks vs Essex: Spectator Information 

The Sharks return to The 1st Central County Ground tomorrow to play Essex in the final Metro Bank One Day Cup game of the season and we've pulled together all the information you need to plan your day out at the cricket. 

Gate Information

The action gets underway at 11am and the gates will open from 9:30am for general admission and hospitality guests. Both the Eaton Road gate (south) and the Palmeira Avenue (north) gates will be open.

Order of Play

The first ball will be at 11am. There will be an interval between innings at approximately 2:30pm, lasting 30 minutes. Play is expected to finish at 6:45pm.

Food and Drink

Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drinks into the ground for daylight 50-games, including a maximum of tour 500ml cans of beer/lager or a 75cl bottle of wine per person.

There are a range of outlets selling beers, wines, spirits, hot and cold soft drinks around the ground, as well as a range of hot food vendors. 

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. This will apply to all outlets at Hove, including food and beverage kiosks, ticketing, membership and our Club retail shop.

Smoking and Vaping 

Out of respect to fellow supporters we would remind you that smoking and vaping is only permitted in the outer perimeter road and strictly not within the seating areas of the venue. Thank you for your cooperation.

Need a Ticket?

If you need a ticket for the game, you can purchase yours by clicking here.

Livestream 

If you can't make it down to Hove to see the Sharks live, you can watch every, ball, wicket and run on our livestream, alongside a scorecard and blog, updated in real-time. 

Visit our Match Day Centre to watch the stream. 

Sussex Women Cement Top Place with Two T20 Victories

Sussex Women beat Suffolk CCC and Middlesex Women yesterday to maintain their fantastic T20 form and their place at the top of the group table. 

In their first T20 of the day, Sussex won the toss and put Suffolk into bat and restricted them to just 94-8 from 20 overs. 

It was yet another outstanding performance from the Sussex bowling attack, who have regularly restricted their opponents to low scores this season.

Beth Harvey once again starred with the ball, picking up 3-11 from her 3 overs, following up from the five wickets she picked up across two T20s during their last double-header outing.

Once again the wickets were shared among the Sussex bowlers, something which has been a major strength this season for the team, with Chiara Green, Millie Taylor, Nancy Harman and Faye Mullins all among the wickets.

With the bat the chase went relatively smoothly, with Sussex opener Lucy Western undefeated for 43 at the crease. 

Western had good support from Millie Taylor who notched 32 from 27 balls to help set up the win.

In the second game, Middlesex won the toss and decided to put Sussex into bat and it was wicket-keeper-batter Mollie Adams who top scored for the visitors, with 39 from 52 balls.

Skipper Chiara Green made a run-a-ball 30 to take Sussex to 122-5 from their 20 overs. 

Middlesex would have felt happy chasing 123 to win, however the Sussex bowling attack asserted their dominance once again. 

Chiara Green then backed up her performance with the bat by taking 4-15 from her 4 overs. 

There was another wicket for the in-form Beth Harvey, as well as wickets for Nancy Harman and Tia Joseph. 

Sussex bowled with control to ensure Middlesex did not get up with the run-rate and were eventually dismissed for 94 in the final over of the game.

To read the scorecard and see details of the table, fixtures and results, please visit: https://sussexwomen.play-cricket.com/Matches

Sussex Sharks vs Surrey: Match Report

Sussex Sharks won their first Metro Bank One-Day Cup match of the season at the seventh attempt when they defeated Surrey by six wickets at Hove.  Surrey have not beaten Sussex in a List A game since 2016.

Sussex had lost their first six games – though three of those were very close – but after a heavy loss in their last outing against Gloucestershire they made six changes, with a number of experienced players returning to the side.  

These included Ollie Robinson, who has been short of cricket lately.  Sussex want to get him match fit for next week’s crucial championship fixture against Yorkshire.

Victory here was assured by a second wicket stand of 153 in 32 overs between the left-handers Tom Haines and Tom Alsop after Tom Clark had set the tone with a sprightly 24 from 27 balls.  

Surrey, who also made a miserable start to the competition, losing their first five matches before winning the next two, never scored enough runs.  

But the young left-arm spinner Yousef Majid, just 20, bowled most impressively in difficult conditions, conceding just 34 runs from his ten overs.

By the time he bowled Haines for a 95-ball 79 (one six, eight fours) Sussex needed just 54 for victory. And though they then lost Danial Ibrahim and Zach Lion-Cachet to silly strokes Alsop took his side home with his sixth List A century.

He brought the scores level by pulling Nathan Barnwell for six and finished unbeaten on 108 from 130 balls.  He hit 12 fours and three sixes.

When Surrey batted they fancied a total  in excess of 300 as they eased to 185 for three in the 34th over, with Ben Geddes and Josh Blake well set.  But they lost their last seven wickets for 57 runs in 14 overs as Sussex spinners Archie Lenham (2-35) and Jack Carson (2-49) took a grip on the game.

They were playing on the same pitch that yielded 716 runs a week earlier, when Sussex played Leicestershire, although this surface was a little slower  Another big score still looked likely as Geddes (81 off 92 balls)) and Blake (53 off 69) added 97 from 17 overs to build a solid launch pad.  

Geddes, with two sixties earlier in the competition, was in particularly good form, with a six and ten fours.  But he was bowled by Haines with the last ball of that 34th over and Surrey wilted in the hot Hove sunshine.

Their batsmen did not have an answer as leg-spinner Lenham and off-spinner Carson, bowling to a tight ring of infielders, cleverly choreographed by captain John Simpson, took control. Blake, fresh from a run-a-ball century against Essex, was lbw to Carson in the 37th over, and when Adam Thomas was bowled by the same bowler two overs later everything rested with the precociously gifted Ollie Sykes.  

But the left-handed and clean-hitting Sykes, who had also been in prime form at Chelmsford on Friday, was yorked by another spinner, Lion-Cachet, for 20  and Robinson wrapped up the innings by bowling Yousef and Seb Stuart-Reckling in the space of three deliveries.

Report Provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from centurion, Tom Alsop

Sussex Sharks vs Surrey: Match Preview

Sussex Sharks return to The 1st Central County Ground to take on Surrey in the Metro Bank One Day Cup tomorrow. Paul Farbrace has named a 13-player squad for the game, which starts at 11am.

Squad

Campbell, Carson, Carter, Clark, Crocombe, Foreman, Haines, Ibrahim, Lenham, Lion-Cachet, Rogers, Simpson* (wk), Tear

Our Opponents - Surrey

Preview by Mark Baldwin – ECB Reporters Network

Captain: Rory Burns

Overseas players: None 

2023 finish: Eighth (Group A)

2023 leading run-scorer: Ryan Patel (330)

2023 leading wicket-taker: Cameron Steel (10)

Key player: Dom Sibley – the 22-times capped former England Test opener won white-ball selection in Surrey’s Vitality Blast campaign this summer in an ongoing bid to show he is something more than just a proven and talented run-accumulator in first-class cricket. A highly-experienced 28-year-old, he can bring authority to Surrey’s top order as well as the natural power that comes from his imposing build, and will be looking to make a statement of white-ball intent in this year’s 50-over competition. 

Young Player to watch: Ollie Sykes – the 19-year-old was named as Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year in 2023 and made his senior Surrey debut during the Vitality Blast group stages. The exciting left-hander, who also bowls spin, has been a member of Surrey’s age group pathway and academy since the age of seven.

Final thought: As in recent seasons, Surrey will have to contest the Metro Bank One-Day Cup without a phalanx of players contracted to appear in The Hundred. This time they are missing 15, one more than in 2023, plus Australians Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson, who represented the club as overseas players earlier in the summer. Surrey’s philosophy, however, is that gives huge opportunity to many of their emerging younger cricketers as well a chance for the likes of Sibley, Patel, Steel, Ben Geddes, James Taylor and others to shine.

Need a Ticket?

If you need a ticket for the game, you can purchase yours by clicking here.

How to Watch

As ever, you can watch every single ball, free of charge on our livestream via the Match Day Centre. The first ball tomorrow is at 11am.

Gloucestershire vs Sussex Sharks: Match Report

Ajeet Singh Dale summoned career-best performance with the ball to help Gloucestershire to a eight-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in the Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

Bowling with real venom, the 24-year-old paceman claimed 4-15 in nine overs to help restrict Sussex to 132-9 in a match reduced by rain to 41 overs-a-side. Fellow seamer Zaman Akhter proved almost as deadly, returning figures of 3-25, his best in List-A cricket, while Danial Ibrahim top-scored with 30 for the visitors.

Required to chase 132 to win on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern Method, Gloucestershire overhauled their target with 21 overs to spare, courtesy of an authoritative innings of 49 not out from Cameron Bancroft and a whirlwind knock of 46 in 28 balls from Miles Hammond.

Victory means Gloucestershire can still qualify for the knockout stages from Group B, providing they win their remaining games against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Friday and Leicestershire at Bristol on August 14. Sussex remain bottom of the table after suffering a sixth straight defeat in the 50-over competition.

Gloucestershire skipper Jack Taylor won the toss and did not hesitate to insert an inexperienced Sussex batting line-up on a green-tinged pitch beneath cloud cover. It quickly became evident that his decision was the right one as Singh Dale built up an impressive head of steam from the Ashley Down Road end, undermining the top order with a devastating new-ball spell of 3-11 in seven overs with three maidens.

Henry Rogers pushed at a ball that pitched outside off stump and nicked to Bancroft at second slip, while the in-form Tom Clark sent a thickish edge looping to Hammond at backward point. Charlie Tear may have survived when Matt Taylor put down a sharp chance off his own bowling, but there was no escape when Singh Dale squared him up and Bancroft again demonstrated safe hands in the cordon to reduce Sharks to 19-3 in the eleventh.

Bowling with genuine pace and accuracy, Singh Dale produced his most incisive List-A contribution since his career-best 4-58 in a winning cause against Northants at Cheltenham 12 months ago. And things scarcely became any easier for the visitors when he made way for Akhter, the 25-year-old seamer bowling with great accuracy in a six-over burst that yielded 2-22. 

Frustrated at being tied down, Oli Carter was bowled for 10 in the act of driving, while Zach Lion-Cachet played back to a straight one that hit middle and off and departed for a gritty 57-ball 27 as Sussex lurched to 65-5. Gloucestershire made further in-roads before the rain arrived, slow left armer Graeme van Buuren persuading Bertie Foreman to cut uppishly to backward point with the score on 94. 

Resuming their innings on 101-6 with nine overs fewer, Sussex lost another wicket almost immediately, Ibrahim miss-timing a pull shot and offering a return catch to Akhter after battling his way to 30 from 57 deliveries. Singh Dale then had Aristides Karvelas caught at mid-on to improve upon his previous best return and consign the visitors to 106-8 and almost certain under-achievement. Archie Lenham scrambled a valuable 24 before being run out by substitute fielder Joe Phillips in the final over as ball continued to dominate bat in an innings that yielded a modest 11 fours.

Hammond and Bancroft were able to raise boundaries far more readily in a progressive stand of 73 in nine overs that set the tone for the chase. Karvelas conceded 31 in three overs before making way for Sean Hunt.

Demonstrating aggressive intent, Hammond smashed Jack Campbell for three sixes in as many balls on his way to a quick-fire 46, only to blot his copybook by hoisting a delivery from Hunt high to mid-off in pursuit of a sixth four. 

There was no appreciable let-up in the scoring rate, Bancroft taking advantage of a free hit to raise an imposing six over mid-wicket at the expense of Ibrahim as the home side kept their foot to the floor. Hunt had Ollie Price held at backward point, but Bancroft proved unmovable in an innings that spanned 53 balls and included 5 fours and a six as Gloucestershire moved level on points with Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and improved their net run rate into the bargain.

Report provided by the ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Paul Farbrace

Sussex’s Daniel Hughes has been voted the PCA Men's Player of the Month for July. 

Hughes was shortlisted through the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings, for his performances over the month. The winners were decided by a 50:50 split between the PCA MVP Rankings and the supporters poll. 

Hughes secured over 40% of the public vote, taking him from fourth on the MVP standings to securing the Player of the Month trophy. 

For Sussex in the Vitality Blast, Hughes won two match MVP awards, firstly against Glamorgan for a blistering knock of 74 off 38 balls, securing 39 MVP points. 

The 35-year-old’s second Match MVP of the month came against Middlesex at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove helping his side to a nine-wicket win thanks to an astounding unbeaten 96 from 54 balls, which included 12 fours and three sixes, amassing a further 40 MVP points. 

Hughes was drafted into The Hundred as a replacement player and scored 45 off just 30 balls in his solitary game for Southern Brave, helping them to victory over London Spirit by seven wickets. 

Hughes will also receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy when he returns to the country for the next round of Sussex’s Vitality County Championship campaign and described what it was like to win the accolade. 

“I think the team being in a really good place and playing with confidence definitely helps, plus being in the top order and being able to bat in the power play makes my job a little easier.

“It’s always nice to get runs when you’re chasing and to contribute to a win. It was also to get us to a home quarter final and my parents’ (who were visiting from Australia) last game so the unbeaten 96 was extra special. 

“It’s always nice to be recognised by the fans and to have a fan base but for the English fans to be voting for me makes it even nicer.”

Find out more about the MVP Rankings and view the domestic men's and women's tables.

Gloucestershire vs Sussex Sharks: Match Preview

Sussex Sharks make the trip to Bristol to take on Gloucestershire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, starting at 11am. Paul Farbrace has named a 13-player squad for the game. 

Squad

Campbell, Carson, Carter, Clark (C), Crocombe, Foreman, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Lenham, Lion-Cachet, Rogers, Tear.

Team News

Tom Haines, Fynn Hudson-Prentice and John Simpson are all rested for the trip to Bristol. Tom Alsop has returned to Trent Rockets in the Hundred.

How to Watch

As ever, you can watch every single ball, free of charge on our livestream via the Match Day Centre. The first ball tomorrow is at 11am.

Bid to Win A Pride Match Shirt

Now is your chance to own a unique Pride Match shirt from the 2024 fixture between the Sussex Sharks and Leicestershire Foxes. 

The limited edition match shirt can now be yours, with all funds raised in the auction going to support the Sussex Cricket Foundation.

The money raised will go towards the Foundation's Champions Fund, an initiative which helps to break down financial barriers and help players of all abilities and genders to access the game of cricket.

Bidding is open now and will close at 9pm on Sunday 11th August. Good luck! Visit https://pride.fem-bid.com/ to place you bid now. 

Sussex Sharks vs Leicestershire Foxes: Match Report

Holders Leicestershire Foxes made it three wins out of four in this year’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup when they beat Sussex Sharks by ten runs at The 1st Central County Ground.  But in a monumental match, which yielded 716 runs, Sussex took the game right to the wire.

A magnificent 119 from 80 deliveries by Australia’s Peter Handscomb had led Leicestershire to a total of 363 for seven.  And that looked much too much for a Sussex side who had averaged just 200 in their previous four matches.

But Sussex, who had made six changes, made a tremendous match of it after appearing out of it at 196 for four in the 35th over. A stand of 131 in 12 overs between Tom Haines (129) and John Simpson (85) put their side back in the reckoning.  Simpson has now scored 477 runs against Leicestershire this season for once out.

Haines and Tom Clark had put on 120 for the first wicket before Clark was bowled by Ben Mike for a 74-ball 72 in the 20th over.  He had been dropped by Mike before he had scored.

The Sussex innings then stuttered as Charlie Tear, Tom Alsop  and Fynn Hudson-Prentice all fell cheaply as the asking rate climbed to more than ten an over. 

But, Haines, who straight-drove Liam Trevaskis for successive sixes on his way to his second List A century, and Simpson turned the game round, with Simpson scoring at a rate of166.66, with eight fours and three sixes.  

Even when Haines was fifth out at 318 Sussex were still in in it, needing 41 off three.  But when Simpson was out in the penultimate over, with twenty still needed, it was finally all over.

Leicestershire were surprisingly invited to bat first in run-friendly conditions (equally surprisingly the Foxes would also have opted to bowl) and their large total was built around an opening stand of 129 between Ian Holland (65), and Sol Budinger (84) and a fourth wicket partnership of 146 between their two best batsmen, Handscomb and Ajinkya Rahane (68).

All-rounder Holland, making his return to the side to open both batting and bowling, and Budinger, who had already shown good form in the competition this season, built the platform for their side’s innings by batting through the opening 20 overs, scoring 52 from the first 10-over powerplay and raising the hundred in the 17th over. 

This was the third time in four innings that Budinger had reached fifty and both he and his opening partner reached the landmark by striking Archie Lenham for six.  

But it was Lenham who broke through in the 21st over when Holland edged to short third man.  He had hit eight fours and two sixes in 67 balls.

Captain Lewis Hill fell cheaply, and then Budinger’s 77-ball stay ended after striking at 109, with six fours and five sixes.  But at 183 for three after 30 overs, and Handscomb and Rahane at the crease, the Foxes were sitting pretty.  

Both batsmen showed their experience as they exploited the short boundary on the east side of the ground but the Sussex bowlers, with the exceptions of the impressive Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson, were guilty of bowling too short in the conditions. Clark’s solitary over went for 22 as Handscomb pulled his first five balls for 4, 4, 4, 4 and six.

The 300 came up in the 44th over as Rahane drove Lenham for six but the batsman was fourth out at 318 when he edged a slower delivery from Hudson-Prentice to the keeper.  But Handscombe carried on to strike 15 fours and two sixes.

Report Provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Tom Haines after his highest ever List A score

Sussex Sharks vs Leicestershire Foxes: Match Preview

After two away trips Sussex Sharks return to The 1st Central County Ground to take on Leicestershire Foxes in the Metro Bank One Day Cup. Paul Farbrace has named a 17-player squad for the game, which starts at 11am.

Squad

Alsop, Campbell, Carson, Carter, Clark, Crocombe, Foreman, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Lenham, Lion-Cachet, Rogers, Simpson, Tear

Our Opponents - Leicestershire 

Preview by Jon Culley – ECB Reporters Network

Captain: Lewis Hill

Overseas players: Ajinkya Rahane (India), Peter Handscomb (Australia)

2023 finish: Champions

2023 leading run scorer: Peter Handscomb (401)

2023 leading wicket taker: Chris Wright (18)

Key player: Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane has joined up with the Foxes squad and is available for the entire competition. With three hundreds and 24 fifties in 90 ODIs on his record, he can make a big impact alongside experienced Aussie Peter Handscomb.

Keep an eye on: Sam Wood, a 6ft 4ins 19-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder, bowled with promise in his two appearances in the Vitality Blast and, with Josh Hull and Scott Currie signed up for The Hundred, will hope for more opportunities to impress in this competition.

Final thought: Defending their 2023 crown will not be easy, not least with rising stars Hull and Rishi Patel and the big-hitting Louis Kimber joining Rehan Ahmed among five players picked up by The Hundred, but a decent squad remains and with Rahane’s addition they have the potential to be contenders again.

Ticket Information

Tickets for tomorrow's game, which is also our inaugaral Pride Match, are still available to purchase online. Tickets start at just £5 for kids and £20 for adults. Click here to purchase yours. 

How to Watch

As ever, you can watch every single ball, free of charge on our livestream via the Match Day Centre. The first ball tomorrow is at 11am.