Former wicketkeeper Patterson forever grateful for Professional Cricketers’ Trust support

• Former Ireland international’s life-changing operation paid for by Trust and daughter’s epic fundraising
• Ex-keeper talks to Trust in exclusive interview about living with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
• Andrew Patterson aiming to complete ‘Patto’s May 5K’ raising funds for Trust

Former Ireland international Andrew Patterson is teaching himself to walk again following life-changing surgery in America and has set himself an inspiring target for May 2024.

The former Surrey and Sussex man is aiming to complete a five-kilometre walk at Victoria Park in May 2024, a year after his ground-breaking operation to help raise funds for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.

Patterson, who was diagnosed with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia in 2013, was set to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair before he was notified of the world-leading operation to vastly improve mobility and his quality of life.

Emerging through the ranks at Surrey, Patterson made 23 appearances for their second team, however Alec Stewart was the preferred choice with the gloves as Patterson moved to Sussex.

The 48-year-old would go on to play First-Class and List A cricket for the south coast county but the development of a young Matt Prior at Sussex meant opportunities were limited.

The ex-keeper was extremely proud to represent his country 61 times between 1996 and 2002, with his final appearance coming against West Indies A.

‘Patto’s May 5K’ will see Patterson joined on the walk on 5 May 2024 by friends and family, including eldest daughter Ella who helped raise funds for her dad’s operation by running two half-marathons.  

In an exclusive interview with the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, Patterson, with the help of daughter Ella, bravely tells his story from diagnosis to operation and the long road of learning how to walk again.

The Professional Cricketers’ Trust provides vital support to past and present cricketers in England and Wales and their immediate families when in desperate need. The charity’s work is all encompassing, whether it be for unforeseen physical or mental needs.

Living with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Patterson is maintaining an intense rehab programme and trains relentlessly for his 5K challenge in May. Thanks to the operation, the dad of three now has a lifetime goal he didn’t think would be possible, walking his daughters down the aisle on their wedding days.

Patterson’s story started in 2011, whilst playing for the MCC, he fell when running between the wickets, resulting in a broken thumb. A seemingly small injury, little did he know at the time, this incident would lead to a serious diagnosis, less than two years later.

Recounting the day he fell and broke his thumb, Patterson recalls playing with his brother, “I remember my brother telling me my balance looked really bad when trying to run between the wickets. Following the fall, I had a few years of going back and forth from hospital and then a consultant said he thought he knew the problem.

“It’s called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia which is a neurological condition where signals from your brain don’t reach their target and for me it started to affect moving my legs,” said Andrew.

In 2015, Andy realised that his condition was worsening whilst playing at home with his three children Ella, Brooke and Drew.

“I remember trying to jump on the trampoline with my kids and I was really struggling, I was saying in my head ‘just bounce’ but I couldn’t do it. That’s when I thought ‘oh crap’ it's really starting to go downhill.”

With support from the Trust and the unbelievable fundraising effort from eldest daughter Ella, who ran two half-marathons, the £70,000 needed for the operation was achieved. The timing was crucial as Patterson’s condition was worsening the window of opportunity for having the operation was closing in.

“I asked him were there any complications to the operation and he said yes, it could paralyse him. But he said he would rather take that chance because he was going to end up there anyway than never take that opportunity. I thought that was very brave of him to do,” said Ella.

On the 26th May 2023, Andy flew to America to undergo a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy operation to provide him with a chance he may not be wheelchair bound for the rest of his life and the hope for the best possible quality of life.  

“The way I was progressing, I was going to be in a wheelchair anyway, with the operation I've got a chance that I might not be.

“If I'd have left it too much longer I wouldn’t have been able to get the operation, so at that stage we were just trying to think of how to get the money.

“What Ella did was legendary and what the Trust did to help financially was amazing, I was honestly blown away in terms of the amount that they helped,” said Andrew.

Following the surgery, Andy has been learning how to walk again and is on the long road to recovery.

“The first day after the operation, getting out of bed I was thought oh my god why did I do this. I knew I had to get through the pain to get to where I need to be,” recalled Andrew.

“Dad is the oldest person that has ever had this surgery done but they said he’s the most physically healthy and determined they’ve seen, the physios have been so impressed. I'm very proud, he’s very inspirational,” said Ella.

“My goal is to walk that 5K with Ella and hopefully lots of friends and family will want to join in too. I wouldn’t have been able to have the operation without the help of Ella and the Trust so I’m extremely grateful,” concluded Andrew.

You can donate to Andy’s Just Giving link by clicking here.

Last week Sussex Cricket and the Sussex Cricket Foundation said farewell to Shaun’s Neon Car Wash, which helped to raise as astonishing £750,000 for Martlets Hospice.

Designed by local artist Chloe Batchelor, our very own Shaun the Sheep brought joy and colour to the streets of Brighton & Hove, where he was part of the Shaun by the Sea Art Trail.

Located at the main entrance of The 1st Central County Ground, Shaun was visited by thousands of locals and cricket fans taking part in the trail.

In September, Shaun was also visited by local superstar DJ and Martlets ambassador Fatboy Slim, when he embarked on a half-marathon which saw him pay a visit to every Shaun the Sheep across Brighton & Hove.

On the weekend, over 300 people gathered for the final auction, which saw bidders compete to own their own piece of Brighton history and help to keep Martlets caring.

We are delighted to confirm that Shaun’s Neon Car Wash was auctioned off for £4200.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director for the Sussex Cricket Foundation said: “It was great to be a part of the Shaun the Sheep Art Trail, supporting the Martlets Hospice helping them to raise significant funds to support the terminally ill.

“The Sussex Cricket Foundation is proud to have sponsored our very own Shaun the Sheep and look forward to working together again with Martlets in the future.”

As well as helping to raise money for Martlets Hospice, the trail also raised awareness and funds for the Sussex Cricket Foundation to continue to grow the game of cricket across Sussex.

Sussex Cricket and the Sussex Cricket Foundation would like to say a massive thank you to everybody who took part in the trail and visited our very own Shaun the Sheep at The 1st Central County Ground.

To find out more about Martlets please visit https://www.martlets.org.uk/

Or, to find out more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation, visit https://sussexcricket.co.uk/sussex-cricket-foundation 

Sussex duo Danni Wyatt and Freya Kemp have today been awarded Central Contracts for the England Women's team for 2023/24. 

Danni and Freya have both been key figures in the England Women's team in recent years, helping to propel the England side to becoming one of the best teams in the world. 

The ECB today announced that 18 Central Contracts have been awarded, with each running until 31st October 2024. 

Full ECB Press Release

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the England Women Central Contracts for 2023/24. 

Eighteen contracts, which run for one year, have been awarded with Maia Bouchier and Danielle Gibson given their first England Women Central Contract. 

Bowlers Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath have all been awarded development contracts after breaking into the senior set-up in 2023. These development contracts are awarded to those players the England Women management team feel will play a pivotal role for the team in the future and enable the ECB to support them further over the next 12 months.

All contracts run until 31 October 2024 and provide significant structural improvements to meet player needs. Working closely with the England Women’s Player Partnership and the PCA, remuneration advancements include enhanced family provision entitlement, a bonus structure that rewards success against higher ranked opposition, increases to the value of retainers and the equalisation of match fees with England men.

England Women centrally contracted list:

Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze)
Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers)
Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers)
Alice Capsey (South East Stars)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Tash Farrant (South East Stars)
Danielle Gibson (Western Storm)
Sarah Glenn (The Blaze)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers/Sussex)
Heather Knight (Western Storm)
Emma Lamb (Thunder)
Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze)
Issy Wong (Central Sparks)
Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers/Sussex)

Congratulations, Danni & Freya!

Georgia Adams targeting T20 gold

Georgia Adams has made yet another final, this time down under in Australia with the Adelaide Strikers Women’s team.

Georgia will be looking to lift yet another white-ball trophy after winning The Hundred earlier this summer with the Southern Brave.

The final takes place tomorrow in Adelaide, starting at 8:10am UK time and will be available to watch on Sky Sports. Go well, Georgia!

Carter’s fine form continues

Oli Carter’s fruitful winter in Newcastle, Australia continued last week as he made yet another half-century.

His 90 from 119 balls on day 1 of the two-day red-ball fixture against Wallsend, helped Newcastle to 279-8 at stumps. The second day takes place tomorrow.

Listen to Regina Suddahazai Khan in conversation with Tymal Mills

The Sussex Cricket Museum launched its very own podcast this year and the latest episode brought together two of our very own from both the Women’s and Men’s teams.

Regina Suddahazai Khan, who plays for Sussex Women and Italy, talks to Tymal Mills, about his pathway into the game and his experiences playing tournaments in India, Australia and Pakistan.

Listen online now

Tymal Mills joins up with Team Abu Dhabi

Fresh from signing a new contract extension, Tymal Mills has now flown out to the UAE where he has once again been playing for Team Abu Dhabi in season 7 of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.

Tymal picked the wicket of Chennai Brave’s George Munsey in their first match, but Abu Dhabi fell four runs short of victory.

You can keep up to date with all Tymal’s results, scorecards and stats here.

Carson and Coles on tour with England Lions

In the coming weeks we will bring you updates and content featuring James Coles and Jack Carson in the UAE with the England Lions. Both were selected for the Lions training camp following their performances for Sussex last season.

Keep an eye out for their progress in the coming weeks in Winter Watch.

More wickets for McAndrew

Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew was back in Sheffield Shield action for South Australia and added another five wickets to his tally against Victoria.

Four of those came in the second innings for just 50 runs off 21 overs, but despite this, Nathan was unable to inspire his side to victory as the opponents won by 23 runs.

Two Sussex players in England Physical Disability squad

Angus Brown and Liam O’Brien have both been selected in the England Men’s Physical Disability squad for the upcoming five game tour of India in January.

The 15-strong squad will play five IT20 matches in Ahmedabad and Udaipur, which will be the first international cricket for the England Men’s PD team since 2019. Good luck, Angus and Liam!

Level up your fanwear with the new Sussex Nike Express range, available to purchase exclusively online now.

The classic fit t-shirts and hoodies come in men’s, women’s and children’s cuts, ensuring everyone can show their support for Sussex.  

Whether you’re training, out and about, or coming to see Sussex in action at The 1st Central County Ground, the Nike range can be styled to suit you. 

Available in blue and yellow, or black and pink, the t-shirts have the Sussex name front and centre alongside the famous Nike Swoosh.  

Hoodies are available in both black and grey, the choice is yours. 

Visit our brand new online Club Shop to explore the range and grab your official Sussex leisurewear today. 

Sussex D40 batter has today been named the Lord's Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year Award at the annual Cricket Writers' Club awards for 2023.

Alfie spoke with Lord's Taverners about a special year that has seen him win both team and individual trophies, as well as making his England debut. 

Read his interview with the Cricket Writers' Club

Sussex D40 batsman Alfie Pyle, who recently made his debut for the England Learning Disability XI, has become something of a hero on and off the field.

He lifted the Disability Premier League trophy with the England Hawks, after they beat the England Pirates in the final, live on Sky Sports, and has since become the first Lord's Taverners Super 1s participant to go from a hub setting, through the county system and onto England honours.

Pyle is now also putting something back into the system that helped him gain international recognition as a coach. "I am so happy that I'm doing the Lord's Taverners (Super 1s coaching).

"People are going to be looking up at me doing coaching. They'll want to be a coach like me, and I'm so happy that I'm coaching kids. One day

Congratulations, Alfie! #GOSBTS

Sussex Cricket is delighted to announce that Tymal Mills has signed a T20 contract extension with the Club.

Mills, who has been with the Club since 2014, has extended his stay with the Sharks until at least 2026. 

The World Cup champion wrote his name in Sharks history last season when he became the Club's all-time leading T20 wicket-taker. 

Sussex took the unique step to recognise his achievements at Hove, by awarding him a County Cap, something usually only reserved for players who play red-ball cricket.

But such has been his impact on the team, Paul Farbrace felt he deserved the recognition.

Speaking on securing the services of Mills once again, Sussex Head Coach, Paul Farbrace, said: "Tymal is a world-class bowler who brings his A game every day.

"He is a consummate professional and gives so much to this Club. We are all thrilled he will be helping us drive things forward for the next three seasons."

Watch the exclusive interview with Tymal to hear his thoughts on his new deal and his hopes for the next few years at The 1st Central County Ground. 

The ECB have today announced the fixtures for the 2024 seasons, with some changes to the Vitality Blast schedule, news of international matches and an outground fixtures at Arundel Castle.

• Sussex will return to Arundel Castle for one-day fixture
• More weekend games in the T20 Vitality Blast
• Back-to-back games on Sky Sports in July
• White-ball finals both to be played in September

Pre-season friendlies

The Men’s first-team will begin in March when they travel to India for a pre-season tour, before returning to play two friendlies at The 1st Central County Ground.

Both will be two-day red-ball friendlies, the first against Surrey starting on Monday 25th March and the second against Hampshire starting on Friday 29th March.

County Championship

Sussex will begin the County Championship season at The 1st Central County Ground on Friday 5th April, with Northamptonshire being the first visitors to Hove in 2024.

The opening day fixture proceeds a block of six County Championship games, all starting on a Friday, concluding with a trip to Lord’s on 24th May to take on Middlesex, who were relegated from Division One last season.

Two more County Championship will take place in June and two more in August, with the red-ball season concluding with three Championship games in September.

The final game of the season will start on Thursday 26th September, when Sussex host John Simpson’s former side, Middlesex to wrap-up the campaign.

T20 Vitality Blast

Next year’s T20 Vitality Blast campaign will get underway on the evening of Friday 31st May, with the Sharks taking on Gloucestershire at Hove.

You’ll notice that more Blast fixtures in 2024 will be played over weekends, giving fans more opportunities to come and watch the Sharks.

The entire Blast campaign will be split into two sections, the first running from Friday 31st May until Friday 21st June.

Our first block will conclude in what has been dubbed “Rivals Week” when we take on Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

"Rivals Week" will see a total of 10 of county cricket’s closest rivals competing against each other over seven days.

The next block of group games will start on Friday 5th July and will conclude on Friday 19th July, with the "Friday Finale" fixture against Middlesex at The 1st Central County Ground.

Quarter-finals will be played across four days in September, starting on Tuesday 3rd until Friday 6th.

Finals Day will take place once again at Edgbaston on Saturday 14th September, meaning both men's white-ball finals will take place in the final month of the season.

Outground cricket returns

Sussex Cricket is delighted to confirm that the men’s team will return to Arundel Castle this year, when they take on Hertfordshire in a 50-over friendly to prepare for the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

This fixture will take place on Sunday 21st July, with the Southern Vipers also playing at Arundel Castle on Monday 27th May in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Prior to the start of the competition Sussex Sharks will play two National County 50-over friendlies, the first will see Sussex Sharks return to Arundel Castle on Sunday 21st July to play Hertfordshire, followed by an away game against Berkshire on Tuesday 23rd July.

The Metro Bank One Day Cup will start on Friday 26th July with a trip to Nottinghamshire to take on the Notts Outlaws.

The first home game will take place at The 1st Central County Ground on Sunday 28th July when the Sharks welcome Warwickshire.

International cricket

The England Women’s team will return to Hove once again, taking on New Zealand Women in an IT20 on Tuesday 9th July, live on Sky Sports. That game proceeds the Sussex Sharks taking on Hampshire Hawks live on Sky Sports the following night.

Tickets are available to purchase now for England Women vs New Zealand Women, by clicking here.

The England U19s will also be playing two IT20s at The 1st Central County Ground on Monday 1st and Wednesday 3rd July 2024.

Southern Vipers

The Southern Vipers will play two games at The 1st Central County Ground. The first the Charlotte Edwards Cup on Wednesday 19th June and the next in the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy against the Western Storm on Sunday 30th June.

The Vipers will also play the Sunrisers are Arundel Castle on Monday 27th May.

2024 Membership and Blast Pass information

With the fixtures now released, you can start to plan your summer at Hove.

2024 Memberships are available to purchase now and if you secure yours by tomorrow, you’ll receive an early bird discount. Full information can be found here.

Blast Passes for 2024 are also available to purchase now, with over 70% already sold, time is ticking to book your seat to see the Sharks this summer. Click here to find out more and get yours today.

Hospitality

A range of hospitality packages will be available across all formats of the game; showcasing first-class cricket in stunning surroundings, there is no better way to entertain clients, impress your colleagues, foster new business relationships, or celebrate a special occasion than to visit The 1st Central County Ground on a match day.

Hospitality packages for 2024 are being finalised but to register your interest please email corporatesales@sussexcricket.co.uk

You can view the full fixture list for 2024 by clicking here.

You can also download a PDF of the full fixture list by clicking the button below.

The Sussex Cricket Foundation is delighted to announce that former England international spinner, Phil Tufnell will be joining Michael Vaughan for a special afternoon of anecdotes, stories and laughs at the Foundation's flagship fundraiser, 'Where Cricket Meets...'.

That's two very special guests for the price of one! The fundraiser, taking place on Thursday 28th March 2024, helps to raise crucial funds for the Sussex Cricket Foundation and helps to provide significant funds to help the Foundation to continue to grow the game across Sussex.

Speaking on the event, Michael Vaughan said: “I’m really excited to be supporting the Sussex Cricket Foundation with their fundraising, helping to support all the amazing work they carry out across the county, to increase participation and continue to make the game accessible to all.  

“I look forward to meeting everyone and having a fantastic afternoon in Sussex!” 

Make sure you grab your tickets while you can and secure a night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole with two legends of the English game. 

Ticket information

Tables of ten are priced at £1,000 or individual tickets can be purchased at £125pp, with all funds going directly to the Sussex Cricket Foundation. 

If you’d like to book a table, please click here.

To read about the important work the Foundation carries out in the county, look over their latest Impact Report  

Sussex Cricket can confirm that Ali Orr has left the Club and will join Hampshire.

Sussex Cricket have agreed to the termination of Orr’s contract for him to make the move and will receive compensation from Hampshire for the switch.

Orr had one year remaining on his contract and was seeking to renegotiate the terms with the Club, however with this not possible, he signalled his intentions to move elsewhere.

The opening batter came through the Sussex Pathway and was handed his first professional contract in 2021. He was then given a new multi-year deal following his performances for the Club.

After making his first-class debut for Sussex, Orr went on to make 51 appearances across all formats of the game, accumulating 2810 runs.

Everyone at Sussex Cricket would like to wish Ali all the best in his career moving forward.