Yorkshire vs Sussex | Day Four
Tom Clark posted a composed 93 either side of lunch on day four and batted Sussex to the safety of a Rothesay County Championship draw against Yorkshire at Headingley.
Both sides topped 500 in their first innings - Sussex 502 and Yorkshire 511 - before the former closed day three on 31 for two second time around.
That became 44 for three, with the lead only 35, early on day four before Clark and James Coles quickly changed the complexion of things with a fourth-wicket 108 partnership.
Coles was more dynamic but fell for 53 off 60 balls before lunch. Left-handed Clark continued into the afternoon and underpinned his side’s 324 for eight from 86, a lead of 315. Joe Root’s off-spin impressed with three for 67 from 21 overs.
When bad light ended play just before 4.30pm, the result ratified not long afterwards, both sides claimed 13 points. This was Yorkshire’s second draw added to a defeat and Sussex’s first draw added to two wins.
George Hill struck with only his second ball during the early stages of day four, a full ball trapping nightwatchman Jack Carson lbw.
That brought Clark, who finished with 16 fours in 177 balls, and England Lion Coles together.
Here is a player in Clark who clearly likes batting in the month of April. He has scored three of his five career Championship centuries in the summer’s opening month dating back to his first in 2022.
Unfortunately for the 24-year-old, he was stopped just short of another by Root, caught behind during the first half of the afternoon as the score fell to 224 for five, a lead of 215.
In England Lions all-rounder Coles, we were watching one of the most talked about young players in the country after his recent £390,000 pick by London Spirit in The Hundred.
Coles counter-attacked and was punishing on anything which erred in length - either full or short. One on-driven boundary against Hill was as good as any shot across the four days played out on a benign pitch, while he later viciously pulled the other morning wicket-taker Jhye Richardson.
Australian Test quick Richardson struggled for rhythm in this match and leaked runs in both innings. But he did bowl Daniel Hughes with a beauty late on day three and bowled Coles just before lunch on day four as the batter advanced down the pitch towards the off-side and was undone looking to hit to leg.
That left Sussex at 152 for four just before lunch, a lead of 146.
Clark had reached his fifty first off 108 balls and Coles shortly afterwards off 52.
Yorkshire employed spin from both ends for the majority of the afternoon in Root and fellow offie Dom Bess, and they had success as Sussex fell to 234 for seven with a little over 45 overs remaining in the day - a lead of 225.
Clark’s departure was followed by Jack Leaning brilliantly caught one-handed at slip by Hill off Bess, the catcher anticipating a reverse sweep. Root then flattened first-innings centurion John Simpson’s off-stump for only six.
While Yorkshire had their tails up, Sussex had time very much on their side.
Root had Tom Price caught at backward point - 252 for eight. Price was batting with a runner following the ankle injury he suffered fielding at the start of day three.
Sussex reached tea at 272 for eight leading by 263 with 32 overs remaining, and their task of batting for survival had been all but rubber-stamped.
Yorkshire vs Sussex | Day Three
By Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
England star Joe Root cruised to 96 but fell short of a 12th first-class century for Yorkshire in the hosts' strong response to Sussex’s first-innings 502 on day three of the Rothesay County Championship fixture which looks likely but not certain to finish in a draw at Headingley.
Sussex had started the season with back-to-back wins and Yorkshire a draw and defeat. But neither bowling attack has looked likely to penetrate high-class batting line-ups on a placid pitch.
Yorkshire, having started day three on 192 for one, were bowled out for 511, claiming a lead of nine with 14 overs left in the day.
They lost opener Fin Bean for 105 early on before fellow left-hander Sam Whiteman converted an overnight 73 into a determined 101, his maiden century for the county he joined in the winter. Sussex’s second innings closed on 31 for two, giving Yorkshire a glimmer of hope. The visiting lead is 22.
Root came in at 199 for two in the day’s fifth over and hit 12 fours in 127 balls before edging fast bowler Henry Crocombe behind during the latter stages of the afternoon session.
Sussex struck three times in the morning, with Yorkshire 300 for four at lunch.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s seam angled one back into left-handed Bean and trapped him lbw for the addition of only four more runs to his overnight tally.
The left-arm spin of James Coles, who later took the second new ball, bowled Jonny Bairstow through the gate for six, uprooting his middle-stump.
Sandwiched in between, Whiteman was caught behind off Crocombe.
Yorkshire-born Western Australia captain Whiteman, playing for his birth county as a local for the next three seasons, had reached his century with a drilled straight six off Coles, getting there off 188 balls.
Root was at ease against seam and spin, including emerging twirler Coles and his former seam-bowling England team-mate Ollie Robinson.
It looked inevitable for much of his innings that he would reach three figures.
This was his first first-class innings in 109 days since his second innings of January’s Ashes Test Match at Sydney, and it was also his fifth 50-plus score in seven Championship innings for Yorkshire dating back two years to the day.
Sussex plugged away for reward in benign conditions. Without ever looking like blowing Yorkshire away, they chipped away and claimed wickets at regular intervals.
In fairness, they were a bowler light having lost seam-bowling all-rounder Tom Price to a sprained right ankle which he suffered whilst fielding the day’s second delivery at deep backward square-leg.
The visitors opted not to utilise the ECB’s substitution rule, but he was off the field all day.
Root reached his fifty off 59 balls before lunch and was within touching distance of raising his bat once more when Crocombe got one to bounce more than expected, with the England man feeling for it outside off-stump and edging behind to John Simpson. In all, he hit 12 fours.
With Matthew Revis having earlier fallen to Coles - he and Root shared a fifth-wicket 86 - Yorkshire were 395 for six during the second half of the afternoon.
Dom Bess was trapped lbw by the miserly medium pace of Tom Haines before George Hill, who posted 50, chipped Jack Carson’s off-spin to midwicket - Yorkshire were 457 for eight at tea.
Yorkshire’s overseas quicks Logan van Beek and Jhye Richardson then contributed 29 and 35 respectively - they shared a ninth-wicket 49 - to help their side into the lead.
Van Beek edged Crocombe behind and Richardson was bowled attacking at Coles.
Both bowlers finished with three wickets before Australian Richardson, who struggled with the ball at the start of the game, bowled compatriot Daniel Hughes with a beauty in the third over the Sussex second innings.
Yorkshire vs Sussex | Day Two
PICTURE: Dave Williams ( RLPhotos.com ) ( cricketphotos.co.uk )
Sussex’s club captain John Simpson completed a superb 136 before Yorkshire’s unbeaten opener Fin Bean impressed with a century of his own during a high-scoring Rothesay County Championship match which reached its midway point at Headingley.
Wicketkeeper-batter Simpson started day two on 101 not out and played an innings which was the centrepiece of his county’s 502 all out on the stroke of lunch after they had started day two on 373 for six.
He hit 17 fours in 226 balls and enhanced a remarkable Championship record of 10 hundreds for Sussex in only 31 matches since signing at the start of 2024. He scored the same number in 188 appearances for previous county Middlesex.
Home opener Bean, also keeping wicket in a fixture which already has draw written all over it, then responded in kind with 102 off 176 balls and shared an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 175 with Sam Whiteman, who contributed a composed 73 to Yorkshire’s close of play 192 for one from 60 overs.
Having shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 165 with Tom Price on day one, Simpson also completed a stand of 83 with seventh-wicket partner Fynn Hudson-Prentice at the start of day three before the latter fell caught behind off George Hill, leaving the score at 398 for seven.
Yorkshire’s attack lacked penetration across the first four sessions, Hill and fellow seamer Jack White aside.
That was shown as Sussex added 104 for the last three wickets, including Championship skipper Ollie Robinson adding an unbeaten 40.
White wrapped up the innings by trapping last man Henry Crocombe lbw with a full ball for 21, finishing with four for 60. Hill finished with three-for.
Earlier, Joe Root’s off-spin had Simpson caught at long-on for his 100th career first-class wicket.
In glorious sunshine and on a placid pitch, Sussex then struck an early blow through Hudson-Prentice’s new-ball seam as Adam Lyth edged to second slip with 17 on the board in the 10th over.
But then Bean intervened to settle any White Rose nerves.
Whilst not as buccaneering, this was an innings which had similarities to the one which Sussex opener Tom Haines compiled at the start of day one when he drove with conviction for 64.
Bean was happy to throw his hands at the ball, driving on the up as well, and he reached a 61-ball fifty in that fashion - his first of the campaign - off Tom Price’s seam.
Yorkshire reached tea at 96 for one, with Bean and Whiteman together.
Bean pulled the left-arm spin of James Coles for six but was tested by the pace of Crocombe, who has looked as lively as any seamer in this fixture.
Whiteman, strong through the off-side off front and back foot, reached his fifty off 88 balls - by which time Yorkshire had reached 143 for one.
A Crocombe short ball struck Whiteman a nasty blow in the box, which left him on the deck for a good five minutes.
From there, Bean and Whiteman edged through the remainder of the day without further alarm.
Bean, aged 24, then reached his seventh Championship century by pulling Tom Price for his 13th four in the day’s penultimate over.
Sussex Sharks Women vs Norfolk Women
Sussex Sharks Women entertain Norfolk Women in the first T20 match at Hove in 2026, in the first round of the Vitality T20 County Cup.
In last year's competition, Sussex defeated Buckinghamshire in the first round of the competition, before falling short in round two against Glamorgan.
The Sharks have played two Metro Bank One Day Cup matches so far this year, losing their opener at Leicestershire on DLS, before returning home in style with a comprehensive 155-run victory last week against Worcestershire.
Team News
Due to the nuances of this ‘FA cup style’ competition, players become cup-tied. With the World Cup and an England A series clashing with rounds where Tier 1 sides enter the draw, it means many players have been retained by their home county as cover.
So we welcome a new face to the squad, Emma Phillipson, a top-order batter and keeper who is currently at the University of Exeter and has been part of the Western Storm academy previously.
Eve O’Neill returns from the England U19 tour of Australia alongside winter acquisition, Shristi Patil, to bring plenty of exciting talent to the squad.
Kali-Ann Docherty returns from injury and experienced off-spinner Beth Harvey is also part of the squad for the first time in 2026.
Sussex Sharks Squad: Chiara Green (c), Beth Harvey, Indigo Gentry, Anna Buckle, Kali-Ann Docherty, Phoebe Wilkinson, Emma Phillipson, Anna Lewis, Eve O’Neill, Sophie Beck, Shristi Patil, Georgiana Pedley, Emily Groves
The Opposition
The knock-out County Cup brings Norfolk to their first ever trip to The County Ground. They compete in League 3 Division 2B in both the Vitality Blast and the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
So far this year, they have played two Vitality Blast matches - a double header against last year's League 3 Division 2 T20 finalists, Shropshire. Norfolk fell short in both matches, with Shropshire winning by 5 wickets in the first and 6 wickets in the second match.
How to Watch
As ever, you can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard.
The action gets underway at 2.30pm on Sunday. Entry is completely FREE - come along and support the women!
Yorkshire vs Sussex | Day One
New all-round signing Tom Price recorded his third successive 50 plus score and John Simpson scored an unbeaten century as buoyant Sussex enjoyed an impressive start to their Rothesay County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.
Sussex are chasing a third win in as many Division One matches this summer, with ex-Gloucestershire man Price - he moved to Hove in the winter - starring against Leicestershire and Warwickshire with second-innings scores of 73 and 70 not out.
Here, he bettered those efforts with a composed 93 off 159 balls as Sussex closed on 373 for six from 96 overs. He shared a sixth-wicket 165 with Simpson either side of tea, the wicketkeeper-batter adding 101 not out off 163 to an early 64 from opener Tom Haines.
Yorkshire are aiming to get their season up and running following a draw at Glamorgan and a defeat at home to Hampshire. Jack White was their standout bowler with three for 42 from 18 overs, while England star Joe Root took a catch at first slip and bowled five overs of off-spin for 18.
While inserted Sussex went in unchanged for the third game running, Yorkshire made three changes from that Hampshire game.
Root was one of the inclusions and captain Jonny Bairstow another in place of fellow wicketkeeper-batter Harry Duke. Bairstow, though, has not taken the gloves having fractured his thumb during the opening week of the season. Opening batter Fin Bean has taken that role.
Expensive Australian Test quick Jhye Richardson - nought for 105 from 16 overs - fed Haines a series of drive balls as he raced out of the blocks. Six off his first 20 balls whistled through the off-side for four.
Sussex had reached 41 for nought after 11 overs, only to lose Dan Hughes caught behind off the inside-edge and Tom Clark lbw as they pushed forward against White in the 12th.
Haines reached his fifty in 61 balls before falling lbw - another left-hander undone defending on the front foot - to off-spinner Dom Bess’s sixth ball just before lunch with the score on 91.
Yorkshire were far from their best with the ball, though they were better after lunch and gained reward through two wickets in four balls for Hill, who removed Jack Leaning and James Coles, the latter for 47, as the score fell to 150 for five in the 39th over.
Former Yorkshire Championship-winner Leaning, a fourth successive batter removed pushing forwards, edged to second slip late in the 37th before Coles found Root at first in the next with a listless back foot poke.
Coles contributed 47 having shared 50 and 54 for the fourth and fifth wickets with Haines and Leaning, the latter making 20.
From there, Sussex showed exactly why they have started the season so well and are firmly in the conversation of title challengers.
Through Price and Simpson, they recovered things expertly either side of tea, which came with the score at 249 for five.
Price took on Richardson, highlighted by a pulled four and six off successive deliveries to take the total beyond 200.
Price and Simpson reached their respective fifties off 75 and 87 balls respectively, and by this stage Yorkshire’s decision to bowl first on a true pitch was coming back to bite them.
Twenty-six-year-old Price was strong off front and back foot, though had good success pulling as he hit 14 fours and a six.
By the time Price and Simpson had alone doubled their side’s total and taken them beyond 300, Yorkshire were right under the cosh and pinning their hopes on new-ball success.
White struck again to get Price, forcing off the back foot, caught at second slip - 315 for six in the 84th.
But Yorkshire realistically needed more, and Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, 24 not out, saw out the rest of the day.
Superb Simpson reached his century off the day’s penultimate ball with his 13th boundary.
Yorkshire vs Sussex
Two wins from two have injected fresh optimism into Hove. Sussex’s Rothesay County Championship campaign could hardly have started better. Victories over Leicestershire and Warwickshire have already wiped out their pre-season points deficit, lifting them to fourth in Division One.
Jack Leaning and Tom Price were the stars last time out. The pair, both playing in their home debuts, put on a partnership of 144 to guide Sussex to a memorable run-chase against Warwickshire. Leaning scored his first century in Sussex colours, ending on 120 not-out, while Price was also unbeaten, having made 70.
After a week off from County Championship action, Paul Farbrace's side now have four games in as many weeks, beginning with tomorrow's trip to Headingley.
Team News
Farbrace has named a 14-player squad to travel to Leeds.
Squad: Carson, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Ibrahim, Lamb, Leaning, Price, Robinson (c), Simpson, Tear
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The Opposition
Yorkshire have started the season with a draw at Glamorgan and a defeat at home to Hampshire, picking up 13 points in the process.
Their season-opener in Cardiff was very nearly a classic, with a sporting declaration from Glamorgan Captain Kiran Carlson setting up an interesting chase on the final day of the rain-affected match. In the end, Yorkshire finished 56 runs short of their target, with three wickets in hand as the players shook hands.
Most recently, they were comprehensively beaten by 214 runs against Hampshire. George Hill took five wickets in the first innings and Logan van Beek had four in the second, but Yorkshire failed to score the runs, as they were dismissed for 177 and 211.
How to Watch
As always, you can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard. You can find information on how to register here.
Or, you can join us for the four days at Headingley by purchasing your tickets here.
Sussex Cricket agrees partnership with BN Thermic
Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce BN Thermic as a new Corporate Partner, welcoming one of the UK’s leading electric heating and temperature control specialists to the club’s growing network of commercial partners.
With proven expertise and a strong reputation for delivering high-quality heating solutions across commercial and industrial sectors since 2005, family-owned BN Thermic is recognised nationwide for innovation, reliability and customer service.
As part of the partnership, the Crawley-based company will continue to supply products and solutions for outdoor heating at The County Ground.
George Evans, Managing Director of BN Thermic, said:
“It’s an absolute pleasure to have my family business, BN Thermic, associated with a professional club like Sussex. Hove is a really special ground and we’re looking forward to cheering the team on throughout the season!”
Mark West, Interim CEO at Sussex Cricket, said:
“It feels great to welcome another successful Sussex-based business on board as a partner of Sussex Cricket. The support of the local business community means a great deal to a club like ours, and I look forward to seeing George and his team at Hove this summer."
Sussex Sharks Women vs Worcestershire Rapids Women
Sussex Sharks Women welcome Worcestershire Rapids Women to Hove on Sunday as Alexia Walker's side look to bounce back from defeat following their opening One Day Cup fixture at Grace Road.
With a youthful squad the Sharks pushed Leicestershire Women all the way in a tense opening match of the Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign last Sunday. Though heavily rain affected, a result was still possible after Sussex posted 152-6 from 37.4 overs. More wet weather arrived and Leicestershire were eventually set a target of 107 from 16 overs, which was chased down with just eight balls to spare.
But there were a wealth of positives from this season opener, namely through debutant Bella Johnson, who smashed 68* from 95 deliveries. It was the standout innings of the match, though it was to be former Shark, Lucy Western (38*), and Caitlin Chissell (30) who helped see the hosts over the line. Another Sussex debutant, Poppy Tulloch - on loan from Hampshire - claimed two wickets for the Sharks, as Chiara Green, Anna Buckle and Johnson all picked up a wicket.
The Opposition
It was equal records for the Sharks and Sunday's opponents last year as Worcestershire similarly ended the previous One Day Cup with four wins and five defeats from their nine group stage matches.
Ed Wilson's Rapids will look to improve on last year's One Day Cup outing, led by captain Clare Boycott, whose venture down to Hove this weekend will be their first match of 2026. They've added Dutch International, Sanya Khurana, to their ranks for the new campaign as they look to begin it on a high.
Last year's meeting between the two sides in this competition was one of the highlights of the Sharks' season, as a spectacular Mollie Adams century (104*) steered Sussex to a 29-run victory at New Road near the start of the campaign.
Team News
Alexia Walker has named an unchanged 13-player squad for Sunday's fixture, as Mollie Adams, Eve O'Neill and Shristi Patil continue to feature for England U19s over in Australia, and so miss out. Kali-Ann Docherty, Talitha Stanley and Lottie Curling all remain out with injury.
Pathway youngsters Sophie Beck and Georgie Pedley (wk) keep their places after positive debuts, as Hampshire loanees Nancy Harman, Ava Lee and Poppy Tulloch also remain in the squad.
Squad News
Sophie Beck, Anna Buckle, Izzy Collis, Indigo Gentry, Chiara Green (c), Nancy Harman, Bella Johnson, Anna Lewis, Ava Lee, Faye Mullins, Georgie Pedley (wk), Poppy Tulloch, Phoebe Wilkinson.
How to Watch
As ever, you can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Centre. You will need to register for a free account to access the stream, statistics, replays and live scorecard.
The action gets underway at 10.30am on Sunday. Gates will open at 9.30am. Entry is completely FREE!
Sussex players star for England U19s
It's been fantastic to see Sussex's Mollie Adams, Eve O'Neill and Shristi Patil all representing England U19s in the ongoing tri-series tournament in Australia.
The team flew out last month and are coming to the end of this series, that also features Sri Lanka U19s. It's a tournament of six matches, one 50-over game and two T20s against both the hosts and Sri Lanka.
The results haven't quite been as positive as Head Coach Chris Guest would have hoped for, yet this is a further immense opportunity and experience for a lot of these young cricketers who are still very much developing.
Supporters will be familiar with Adams and O'Neill, who played consistently last season for the Sharks (the former also being the daughter of legendary Sussex player, Chris Adams). 17-year-old Patil is a highly talented young batting all-rounder who joins this season from Berkshire, and all three will prove to be huge assets to Alexia Walker's side this season.
On speaking of her time over in Australia, Adams said: "I think I can say we’ve not had the results we would have wanted as a team, but there has been plenty of positives to take and lessons learned in Australian conditions. It’s been great to be a part of this group and we are looking forward to hopefully finishing this tour strong."
There's one final match of the series to ensure the young England side go out on a high, with that a T20 against Sri Lanka in the early hours of Friday morning. We wish our Sussex representatives all the very best in that one as they look to claim a first victory of the tournament, before they return home to put on a show in a Sussex shirt.
Sussex Cricket strikes partnership with Feedz
Feedz, the AI-powered feedback platform backed by Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire, has announced a partnership with Sussex Cricket to enhance player development across its Emerging Player Programme (EPP), academy and wider talent pathway.
Following a successful pilot, Feedz is now being deployed across Sussex Cricket’s coaching network, supporting over 100 coaches within the county group. The platform enables coaches to deliver instant, structured and consistent feedback aligned to cricket-specific development frameworks.
Feedz allows coaches to convert simple voice notes into professional, personalised player reports in seconds — significantly reducing admin time while improving the quality and consistency of communication with players and parents.
As part of the partnership, Sussex Cricket will utilise Feedz’s enterprise platform, which includes:
- Unlimited feedback reports across all pathway coaches
- Customised technical, physical and psychological development frameworks
- A centralised dashboard for county-wide oversight
- Scalable infrastructure to support multi-county rollout
- Dedicated onboarding and ongoing product customisation
The rollout is already delivering strong results, including a 4x increase in player feedback, reduced coach administration time, and more consistent development standards across the pathway.
Matthew White, Co-Founder of Feedz, said:
“Sussex Cricket is one of the leading talent pathways in the UK, and this partnership is a brilliant example of how technology can support both coaches and players at scale. By reducing the time it takes to deliver high-quality feedback, we’re enabling coaches to focus on what matters most — developing players.”
Keith Greenfield, Head of Talent Pathway at Sussex Cricket, said:
“Feedz has had an immediate impact on how we deliver feedback across our pathway. It allows our coaches to provide clear, structured and consistent insights in a fraction of the time, which benefits both players and parents. We’re excited to be rolling this out more widely across Sussex Cricket.”
This partnership forms part of Feedz’s broader expansion across county cricket, with similar deployments underway across other county networks, supporting a more connected and scalable national approach to player development.
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