Sharks vs Essex: Match Report 

Essex, needing to win their last three games for a home quarter-final spot in the Vitality Blast, got off to a terrific  start with an improbable win over the Sussex Sharks by five wickets with nine balls to spare.

Essex were inspired by an heroic innings of 120 not out by Michael Pepper, who faced just 53 balls balls and hit nine sixes and nine fours  But he was well supported by Charlie Allison, who made an unbeaten 44 from 26 with a six and four fours. The pair stunned a sell-out crowd with a partnership worth 121 in nine overs.

Sussex had scored an impressive 207 for two. And Essex, who had chosen to bowl first, were soon set back on their heels when their turn came to bat.  Ollie Robinson broke through with only the second ball of the innings, when he had the dangerous Adam Rossington caught at deep square-leg. And when Tymal Mills brought himself on for the fourth over he immediately bowled Dean Elgar for eleven to make it 30 for two.

Then, when Robinson was switched to the Cromwell Road end, he took wickets with each of his first two deliveries, having Robin Das caught behind and then dismissing Paul Walter, who was caught at extra-cover from a leading edge.  

Essex looked out of it at 90 for five in the tenth over. But Pepper, who had launched his innings with an assault on spinner James Coles, was already well into his innings and managed to take his incredible strike rate to 200 for the competition this season.  He has scored 488 runs at an average of 48 and this was his second hundred.

Sussex themselves needed two wins out of three to win a home quarter-final spot. And for the second time in two days the their innings was based around a dominant partnership. On Friday it was Tom Alsop and John Simpson, who put on 139 against Kent.  And against Essex it was Daniel Hughes and Tom Clark, who added 110 for the second wicket in just 11 overs.

Once again Sussex had made a fast start, thanks to Hughes and Harrison Ward (15), who put on 34 in just 3.2 overs, before Ward was caught at mid-off. But then Hughes in particular powered Sussex to yet another big score, with an innings of 81 off 43 balls, with five sixes and eight fours, striking at a rate of 188 to take his total to 435 runs in the competition this season.

Twice in one over Hughes hitting Shane Snater over long leg for six to bring up his fifty off only 26 balls. At the halfway stage Sussex were 94 for one and then Hughes raised the hundred by hitting leg-spinner Matt Critchley for a massive six over mid-on.

At the other end, on a slightly  slow pitch, Clark did not find his timing early on. But after striking Walter over fine leg for six his tempo increased and he finished with an unbeaten 72 from 53 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. The in-form Alsop hit a bright 27 not out off 14, including a magnificent six over midwicket off Snater.  But it would not be enough.

Report Provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Tom Clark after his highest ever T20 score 

Sharks vs Essex: Match Preview

The Sharks return to The 1st Central County Ground today to take on Essex, starting at 230pm. Paul Farbrace has made two additions to the squad that played at Canterbury last night. The Sharks will now play to secure a home quarter-final after securing qualification to the next round. 

Squad

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Currie, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Karvelas, Lamb, Lenham, McAndrew, Mills (c), Robinson, Simpson (wk), Ward

Team News

Oli Carter and Ari Karvelas come into the squad. 

Sharks vs Essex Tickets SOLD OUT!

Ticket's for today's game are sold out! Thank you so much for your support this campaign. There is one final group game left this season, on Friday 19th July, when the Sharks welcome Middlesex to Hove, looking to secure a home quarter-final.

To get your tickets, please visit our ticketing website, before they are gone!

How to Watch

If you didn't get a ticket, don't worry - you can watch every single ball free of charge via our livestream on our Match Day Centre. The action gets underway at 230pm.

Kent Spitfires vs Sussex Sharks: Match Report

The Sussex Sharks thrashed the Kent Spitfires by 88 runs in Vitality Blast at Canterbury to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

The Sharks recovered from 64 for four to post 203 for four, thanks to an unbroken stand of 139 between Tom Alsop and John Simpson.

The hosts’ hopes had soared after Jas Singh took two wickets in three balls, but Alsop hammered Kent with 87 from just 41 deliveries, while Simpson played the anchor role with 53 from 39.

Tawanda Muyeye hit an elegant 45 from 25 balls, but James Coles took four for 12 as the Spitfires wilted in the face of an ever-steepening run rate, collapsing to 115 all out with 3.4 overs remaining.

It was a demoralising evening for the Spitfires, who squandered yet another promising position and remain rock-bottom of the South Group.

Their decision to field looked suspect when Marcus O’Riordan’s first over went for 17, all of which were scored by Harrison Ward.

Singh, however, changed the outlook, bowling Ward leg stump and getting Tom Clark caught by Jack Leaning at mid-off for a second ball duck.

Tom Rogers clean-bowled Coles for 14 and Nathan Gilchrist then removed Daniel Hughes for 16, victim of a staggering overhead catch by Sam Billings. 

It was as bright a spell as Kent have enjoyed in the Blast all season but from 64 for four Alsop joined Simpson to stabilise Sussex before they mounted an all out assault in the death overs.

They were 79 for four after 10 overs, and 151 for four after 15, giving them a platform to launch an assault in the final five. Kent missed the cut off by a minute and with an extra fielder in, Joey Evison’s 20th over went for 21 as Kent’s fielding, so tight for the first half of the innings, went to pieces, with catches dropped, run outs missed and the body language betraying a team whose morale is in freefall. 

After hitting a career-high 73 at Essex on Thursday night, Muyeye got off to an explosive start, but he lost his opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond for two when he was lbw to Ollie Robinson.

Brad Currie then removed O’Riordan for a three-ball four, caught by Nathan McAndrew at mid-wicket.

The run rate did for a succession of batters. Muyeye played some wonderful strokes but perished when he flicked Coles to Currie on the square leg boundary.

Feroze Khushi skied Jack Carson to McAndrew for 22, Sam Billings was bowled by Coles for 14 from seven and Joey Evison dragged an Ollie Robinson bouncer onto this stumps and was bowled for six.

Coles took two wickets in four balls in the 14th, bowled Rogers for one and Gilchrist for a duck.

Jack Leaning straight-drove Currie to the boundary where he was caught by when Ward threw the ball to Alsop before going over the rope and the rout was confirmed when Singh chipped Carson to Hughes.

Report Provided by ECB Reporters' Network

Reaction from Tom Alsop after a match-winning knock

Tickets for Sharks vs Essex SOLD OUT!

Ticket's for tomorrow's T20 Vitality Blast game against Essex are sold out! Thank you so much for your support this campaign. There is one final group game left this season, on Friday 19th July, when the Sharks welcome Middlesex to Hove, looking to secure a home quarter-final.

To get your tickets, please visit our ticketing website, before they are gone!

Kent Spitfires vs Sussex Sharks: Match Preview

After an emphatic win over Hampshire last night, the Sharks travel to Canterbury to take on the Kent Spitfires, with a quarter-final spot in touching distance. Paul Farbrace has named a 15-player squad for the game, which starts at 630pm tomorrow. 

Squad

Alsop, Carson, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Currie, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Lamb, Lenham, McAndrew, Mills (c), Robinson, Simpson (wk), Ward

Team News

Brad Currie comes into the squad after being with Scotland at the World Cup, where he picked up an injury. 

Kent Livestream

The game will be shown on the Kent Cricket matchday centre at a cost of £5.99. To sign up and watch the game, please visit: https://kentcricketplay.co.uk/register 

You can still keep track of the scorecard and match stats on the Sussex matchday centre, however the livestream will not be available.

The first ball is at 630pm. 

Sharks vs Hampshire Hawks: Match Report

Sussex Sharks made it seven wins out of ten in the Vitality Blast when they beat Hampshire by 22 runs at The 1st Central County Ground. Hampshire have won just twice and will surely have to win all their remaining matches to make the quarter-finals.

Hampshire, chasing a target of 201, could not have got off to a worse start, losing two wickets in the first two overs. In the first, overseas batsman Ben McDermott was run out after hitting Ollie Robinson to extra-cover and calling for a single. And in the next over Tom Prest lobbed James Coles to Tom Clark at mid-on. 

But Vince and Joe Weatherley then breathed life into the Hampshire innings with a partnership worth 59 in just six overs. Vince hit Danny Lamb for a spectacular six over midwicket and out of the ground. And Weatherley, dropped on 21 by  Lamb, hit four fours and a six in a 23-ball 34 before he skied Jack Carson to Alsop at deep mid-off.

When Vince was bowled by Lamb for 32 Hampshire were up against it.  But a spirited partnership of 50 in five overs between Toby Albert (27) and Benny Howell (32) kept them on course.  

But while Hampshire were keeping up with the run-rate they continued to lose wickets. Albert, swiping to leg, was bowled by Coles, James Fuller prodded Coles to Lamb at midwicket and Howell was run out after Liam Dawson, who had just dug out a yorker by Robinson, did not leave his crease after his partner had called for a quick single.  

In the end Hampshire, bowled out for 178 in 19.1 overs, finished well short. The highlight of the Sussex innings was a partnership of 83 in nine overs between Clark and  Coles.  But on a good wicket the batting line-up maintained a heavy scoring rate throughout.

Hampshire made a good start when they dismissed Daniel Hughes, caught behind,  for a duck with the first ball of the third over - Hughes had scored 354 runs in the competition, striking at over 170 per 100 balls. 

But his equally aggressive opening partner Harrison Ward propelled the Sharks to a score of 57 from the six-over powerplay with a thumping 39 from 20 deliveries, with six fours and two sixes, with John Turner going for 20 off one over. But then Ward lobbed Fuller straight to Vince at mid-off.

Clark and Coles – the only right hander in the top six – then came together. Coles hit five fours and a six over-midwicket  in his 33-ball 46 and Clark scored five fours in his 37, made off 26 balls.  

And when they went the scoring rate was maintained, with former Hampshire batsman Tom Alsop cracking 35 from only 17 deliveries, with six fours, and the ramp-happy Lamb making 22 off 13.  Chris Wood and Fuller were the most impressive Hampshire bowlers on a difficult night.

Report Provided ECB Reporters' Network 

Reaction from James Coles after an outstanding performance with bat and ball 

Sussex Cricket Announces New Partnership 

with St Kitts & Nevis Ministry of Sports

Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership with St Kitts & Nevis Ministry of Sports for at least the 2024 season and will see the island become an Official Premium Partner to the Club.

The partnership between St. Kitts and Nevis and Sussex Cricket includes several exciting initiatives: sponsor-branded pitch mats on the outfield at the North and South ends of the ground, LED banner advertising on the scoreboard at all home group fixtures, big screen advertisements, and an advertisement on Livestream.

The partnership also aims to attract cricket teams to St. Kitts and Nevis during the off-season, enhancing sports tourism and providing local players with opportunities to compete against and be scouted by international teams, and further growing the game of cricket. 

Sussex fans will also get to the opportunity to transport themselves to St Kitts and Nevis this season, sampling the island’s food, drink and culture, when the Ministry sponsors one of the Club’s Metro Bank One Day fixtures in August. 

Sussex Cricket CEO, Pete Fitzboydon, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Government of St Kitts and Nevis to help showcase the islands to a global audience. 

“As the oldest professional sports Club in the world and one of the UK’s top cricket teams, Sussex Cricket enjoys exceptional reach all around the world, which will help St Kitts and Nevis further enhance their impressive reputation as a premier cricket training and tourism destination. 

“We were struck by the level of ambition of St Kitts and Nevis, which aligns with our own world-class aspirations, and so made this a natural partnership for both organisations. We look forward to starting this journey immediately.”

Statement from the Minister of Sports and Creative Economy et al, Hon. Samal Duggins:  "We are delighted to embark on this exciting partnership with Sussex Cricket. 

“This collaboration not only elevates our presence in the international sports arena but also promotes cultural exchange and tourism between St. Kitts and Nevis and the UK. 

“We are using this opportunity to display the essence of our beautiful islands, and we look forward to showcasing our unique culture and hospitality to the cricket fans of Sussex. 

“This partnership will bring significant benefits to both parties, and we are committed to making this a successful and memorable collaboration. 

“This partnership opens numerous opportunities for our nation. By attracting cricket teams during their off-season, we aim to make St. Kitts and Nevis a go-to destination for pre-season training. 

“Additionally, the expertise and resources from Sussex Cricket will bolster our local sports development programs, enhancing our sports academy.”

For more information, please contact the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Sports and Creative Economy at info@sportsek.gv.kn

Record-Breaking Sussex Sharks VI Parade T20 Trophy 

Last week T20 champions, the Visually Impaired Sussex Sharks, were special guests of honour at The 1st Central County Ground for the T20 Blast fixture between the Sharks and Glamorgan, where they paraded their 2023 BCEW T20 trophy in front of the home fans at Hove.

The players of the cup-winning squad were welcomed onto the pitch with warm applause from the Sussex faithful, as they returned to the venue where they lifted the trophy in May, in a rescheduled final from 2023.

That match was the second of two disability cricket fixtures held at The 1st Central County Ground, a first for any County across the country and was also preceded by DIScoverABILITY Day on the Friday, the Sussex Cricket Foundation's flagship disability sport event.

It was a spectacular performance on the day from the Sussex Sharks VI, who cruised to a 226-run victory over fellow finalists Northants.

The trophy was the fourth in as many years for the Sussex Sharks VI, who lead the way across the country when it comes to success within the game. 

As well as parading the trophy, the playing squad were joined by sponsors, Webtrends Optimize and Sussex Men's Head Coach, Paul Farbrace for pictures at the dugouts.

Speaking on the team's success, Sussex Sharks VI player, Dan Field said: "It was a huge honour to win the trophy at The 1st Central County Ground.

"Sussex are the only County in the country that put so much effort into not just hosting the games, but just the way the team are treated, the access to the changing rooms and the full experience. 

"There was a fantastic ground, we played on a professional wicket and to win on the day was lovely!"

To find out more about disability cricket and the Sussex Cricket Foundation, please visit: https://sussexcricket.co.uk/sussex-cricket-foundation/disability-cricket 

Sharks vs Hampshire Hawks: Match Preview

Tomorrow the Sharks look to bounce back from defeat to Glamorgan, welcoming Hampshire Hawks to The 1st Central County Ground, one of five remaining Blast games left in the group stages. Paul Farbrace has named a XX-player squad for the game, which starts at 7pm.

Squad

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Clark, Coles, Crocombe, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Karvelas, Lamb, Lenham, McAndrew, Mills (c), Robinson, Simpson (wk), Ward

Ticket Information

Tickets are still available to purchase for tomorrow night's Blast game. There are only 3 home Blast group games left. If the Sharks make the quarter-finals, you'll get priority access to get your ticket if you've already purchased a Blast ticket this season.

Click here to buy yours today. 

How to Watch

As ever, every single ball of the action will be available to watch for free on our livestream via our Match Day Centre. 

London Metro vs Sussex Sharks VI: Sharks Sitting Top of the League

On Saturday 6th July second place Sussex hosted league leaders London Metro at Blackstone on a blustery day. The threat of rain never materialised except for a couple of brief showers and having won the toss, Metro had no hesitation in asking their hosts to bat.

It was clear the gusty wind was going to play a  role as the early overs saw extras play a large part and the Sharks openers struggled to time the ball. 

The Sharks innings began to pick up pace as Si Ledwith (83* ) and Dan Field (94) upped the scoring rate and it looked as though  an early declaration would be called. 

After Dan departed the scoring rate slowed and the Sharks finally declared at the end of the 30th over with the score on 234 for 5. This meant the Sharks had secured all four batting bonus points whilst Metro had secured just the two bowling points.

As the wind died down and Metro began their innings, the usually miserly Sharks attack were guilty of giving too many loose deliveries which were mercilessly punished by the Metro openers. 

Nick Ebeck was the first wicket to fall on 77, but at the halfway stage Metro were looking on course to overhaul the Sharks total.

The game turned when Matt Dean who had scored 83 off just 53 balls was caught spectacularly by Callum Weir at backward square. 

At this point Metro, were 134 for 2  and whilst the win was still possible they were caught in two minds as to whether to chase hard, or dig in for the draw. 

Wickets began to fall but Metro looked to have plenty in hand. In desperation, Dan threw the ball to part timer Mark Bond, his loopy leg spin inducing false shots and his 2-8  then opened the door. 

Phil Daniels then cleaned up the stubborn Sam Hoskins and the unlikeliest of wins seemed possible. 

Callum Weir was handed the ball for the last over with Metro having two wickets left. Skipper Rory Field dealt with the first four balls solidly before inexplicably playing a shot and being clean-bowled. 

This left totally blind Hashmuk Mtha with 1  ball to defend to save the game. He duly gently patted it back for Metro to secure the draw.

Metro's 175-9 meant they had secured three batting points whilst Sussex gained all four bowling points. This proved significant as Sussex's 14 points versus Metro's 11 saw the home team move to the top of division one,  just two points ahead of Metro at the halfway stage of the competition.