Sussex Members Approve Jon Filby Extension

Sussex Cricket held a Special General Meeting on 15 September, where members were asked to vote on two resolutions relating to the Club’s Rules.

The proposed changes allowed a director’s term to be extended to a maximum of 12 years if they were elected as Chair during their second or third year on the Board.

Members voted with an overwhelmingly majority in favour of the resolutions.

Following the outcome of the vote, the Sussex Cricket Limited Board confirmed that Jon Filby’s term as Chair will be extended by a further two years. 

He will now step down from the Board in March 2028.

Speaking on his extension, Jon Filby, said: “I am very grateful to the members of Sussex Cricket for their continuing support and look forward very much to working with the Board and the executive to create passion for cricket in Sussex, to continuing the development of winning teams and to uniting people across the county through the power of cricket”.

Sussex Win 60+ 1st XI Bowl to cap off Memorable Season for Seniors

In the last four seasons the Sussex 60+ 1st XI, who play matches in the National Division 1 South group of The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 60+ 1st XI, have won through to the National Cup Final and won the National Vase.

This year group results led to the Sussex 60+ 1st XI, being drawn to play in the Bowl competition for the second phase of the season.

In their quarter-final game they were drawn at home against Norfolk, with the game played at Horsham CC. The visitors batted first scoring 207-7 in their 45 overs, with Sussex racing past their total scoring 210-7 inside 38 overs.

The team then travelled down to North Devon for the semi-final where Sussex posted 270-4 with Martyn Ford scoring 79 and fellow opener Gordon Morgan (70) in a century plus partnership. After a fine bowling and fielding display from Sussex, Devon were bowled out for 210 with Ian Jones taking three wickets.

Onto the Final, and after a rained off first attempt - the team travelled to Banbury to take on Derbyshire. Another excellent bowling and fielding performance restricted Derbyshire to 181-7 with Ian Jones again the leading wicket taker, bowling his nine overs for just ten runs.

The opening pair of Morgan (49) and Ford (74no) got the innings off to another strong start, well supported by Mick Webb (45no). As Sussex raced past the Derbyshire total to win the trophy by an emphatic 9-wicket margin. View the full match scorecard here.

A great end to the season with both Martyn Ford and skipper Gordon Morgan scoring over 620 runs each and four players Ford, Christmas, Hill and Haggart also representing one of the England Seniors teams.

But the success didn’t stop there for the Seniors, who have in total reached an impressive four National Finals this season. Going on to win in three of those finals!

The results from these three matches are below along with links to the respective scorecards:

50+ 2nd XI beat Buckinghamshire by 6 wickets to win The 50+ 2nd XI County Championship – Plate. Match scorecard

60+ 3rd XI beat Wales by 5 wickets to win The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 60+ 3rd XI Cup. Match scorecard

70+ 1st XI lost to Devon by 14 runs in The Seniors County Cricket Championship – 70+ 1st XI Bowl Final. Match Scorecard

It's been another brilliant season for the Sussex Seniors, who continue to provide cricket for hundreds of players every week. For all results, scorecards and statistics from across the various teams, visit their Play-Cricket site.

Sussex vs Yorkshire: Day Three Match Report

Captain John Simpson made the only half-century so far in a bowler-dominated contest as Sussex and Yorkshire battled for supremacy at Hove.

Simpson’s 66 on a day when only 51 overs were possible because of rain and bad light helped Sussex to 232 for eight, a lead of 38.

With a day to go a draw still seems the likely outcome – a result which would suit both teams bearing in mind the struggles two of the teams below them in the table – Hampshire and Durham – are having in the penultimate round of matches. 

Having started the day on 84 for 4 and still 110 behind, Sussex will be pleased with their efforts in conditions which were never great for batting with a grey canopy of low cloud all day and the ball doing enough off the pitch to keep the seamers interested before Dom Bess, belatedly introduced to the attack, spun two balls sharply to take two wickets in eight balls.

Simpson, in two hours and 40 minutes of patient accumulation, offered just once chance after reaching the 60th fifty of his first-class career when he was on 53 and Adam Lyth put him down at slip off George Hill.

When play started at 11.45am after overnight rain Simpson and Tom Alsop extended their fifth-wicket stand to 42. That it took 19 overs reflected the quality of the seam bowling, notably from Matt Milnes and Hill.

Milnes made the breakthrough when he switched ends although Alsop could consider himself very unfortunate when he defended deep in his crease and the ball rolled onto the stumps, gently dislodging the leg bail.  Nonetheless his 36 in two hours was an important contribution.

After lunch Simpson and Carson went on the attack, adding 52 in 12 overs before Carson played at an outswinger he could have left from Hill and Lyth held on at second slip.

There was another good partnership for the seventh wicket for nearly an hour between Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice and it was the introduction of off-spinner Dom Bess that brought Yorkshire some relief.

In his second over Bess turned one sharply to hit Hudson-Prentice’s off stump and he claimed the key wicket of Simpson in the next over as he was pushed forward and was beaten by one which turned to hit off stump, from a round the wicket line. It was a fine ball to end a quality innings, which included eight fours and took Simpson to 952 runs for the season. He will be confident of reaching 1,000 for the third time in his career with potentially three innings to play. 

Drizzle forced the players off shortly after tea and frustratingly, when they resumed at 5.05pm, only three balls were possible before bad light forced another delay. Umpires Tom Lungley and Jack Shantry finally called it a day at 5.50pm.

Sussex vs Yorkshire: Day Two Match Report

Fourteen wickets fell at Hove as two sides needing a victory that would make sure of their first division status produced a compelling day.

Sussex were in the ascendancy when they bowled Yorkshire out for 194 after tea but the visitors fought back, reducing the hosts 84 for four when bad light ended with 13 overs not bowled. 

A draw would probably suit both teams in their battle to avoid an immediate return to the second division but despite no play on the first day there is now every chance of a positive result. A pitch that had been under cover for the best part of 48 hours offered help to the seamers throughout but there was also some flawed shot selection from both teams.

It looked a good toss to win when Yorkshire reached 100 for two. But Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who took three wickets apiece, and the excellent Ollie Robinson fought back to take six wickets between lunch and tea before off-spinner Jack Carson finished the innings off.

With the floodlights on, Yorkshire hit back with the new ball. Jack White had Dan Hughes smartly taken low at third slip and Tom Haines was lbw to Matt Milnes working to leg. Milnes struck again in his sixth over thanks to wicketkeeper Johnny Bairstow’s alertness. Hill shelled a catch at slip, but the ball landed on Bairstow’s right boot and he scooped it into his gloves as it bounced up. James Coles (29) shaped up well until he found mid-wicket trying to work Jordan Thompson through square. 

The subsequent clatter of wickets had seemed unlikely for much of the morning session as Fin Bean and Adam Lyth accumulated patiently before Bean (27) was caught behind trying to cut Hudson-Prentice’s medium pace and in the last over before lunch left-armer Sean Hunt found Lyth’s inside edge after he’d made 47 and looked to have done the hard work.

Yorkshire then lost five for 15 in 7.2 overs with James Wharton taken low down at slip by Jack Carson to give Robinson a belated reward. Bairstow was bowled through the gate by Unadkat in the next over and he struck again when Matthew Revis played at a delivery he could comfortably have ignored well outside off stump.

Hill drove loosely and was caught at slip and Dom Bess fell to a leg-side strangle. Jordan Thompson glided the hat-trick ball from Hudson-Prentice effortlessly to the cover rope and Sussex would have been in an even stronger position had Coles held a waist-high chance at second slip before Thompson added to his boundary.

Instead, Thompson and Indian Mayank Agarwal put conditions into perspective by adding 52 for the eighth wicket with few alarms. 

Agarwal, who made a golden duck on his debut at Taunton last week, had been in since the fall of the first wicket and although he struggled with his timing during nearly two and a half hours he did a solid job while wickets tumbled at the other end until following one from Unadkat which had shaped away.

After tea Carson pinned Thompson (38) with a ball which straightened just enough and the innings ended when White was caught at slip driving loosely at Carson. 

Well, here it is: one final showdown at Hove for 2025, and a pivotal one it could be, too, as Yorkshire journey down for the penultimate County Championship match of the campaign with both sides keeping one eye fixed over their shoulder. 

With draws aplenty across Division One - including Sussex's hosting of Hampshire earlier in the week - there was little change to the table with a handful of teams still keeping close tabs on the drop zone. Hampshire's eight point deduction has made things more interesting as Sussex climb to sixth, but with Yorkshire another side looking to progress away from danger, next week's round of fixtures will prove pivotal in the race for survival.

Team News

Paul Farbrace has named a 13-player squad for the visit of Yorkshire. Henry Crocombe was forced to exit the squad ahead of the Hampshire fixture earlier in the week, and so the squad is unchanged:

Alsop, Carson, Carter, Coles, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hughes, Hunt, Ibrahim, Karvelas, Robinson, Simpson* (wk), Unadkat

The Opposition

So, our opponents: placed in seventh a mere three points shy of Sussex, Yorkshire travel down south in need of maximum points to move further away from ninth position. Slightly helped by the weather in their previous fixture at Somerset on their way to a draw, it's been steadier stuff for Anthony McGrath's side since a shaky start put them on the backfoot early on. 

Five games unbeaten, their finest victory may just have arrived against Sussex in early August up in Scarborough on a tough few days for Paul Farbrace and his team. In Adam Lyth they have found a consistent run scorer at the top of the order, with a fine season average of 52.06. With the ball, George Hill and Jack White have done the most damage, though Sussex will still be feeling the effect of Matt Milnes, who was excellent in Scarborough.

Timings

Gates will open tomorrow at 9.30am, with the toss taking place half an hour later at 10am. The first ball will be bowled at 10.30am. 

How to Watch

As always, you can watch every ball, free of charge, via our Match Day 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.

Match Tickets

Tickets are available to purchase on the day from our ticket office, or via this link.

You're Invited to the 2025 End of Season Awards

Sussex Cricket is delighted to be able to invite you, our Sussex supporters, to this year's End of Season Awards night.

Taking place on Sunday 28th September at The Grand in Brighton, the End of Season Awards night is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the Sussex Men's, Women's, Disability and Senior cricket teams, all under one roof, hosted by Adrian Harms.

And in 2025, we'd like to invite you to join us for the evening. Supporters can enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, a two-course sit-down meal and dance the night away with Sussex players, coaches and staff.

• - 7pm arrival at the Empress Suite at The Grand, Brighton
• - Welcome drink and two course meal
• - Dress to impress - Black ties are not required
• - Carriages at midnight

Please note no tickets will be issued for this event. There will be an attendance list and seating plan upon your arrival on the evening.

Tickets cost £65 for Sussex Members and £75 for non-Members. 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS. 

A bad day for Hampshire ended with them flirting with the first division relegation after rain frustrated their attempt to beat Sussex at Hove.

Only 21 overs were possible on the final day at the 1st Central County Ground and between the showers Sussex, who needed 278 to win, reached 84 for 3 before a final downpour at 4pm ended play with opener Tom Haines unbeaten on 40. Both teams took 11 points.

That at least covered the eight points Hampshire had been deducted earlier in the day for preparing a poor pitch when Sussex won at the Utilita Bowl in May.

Hampshire have a trip to Somerset next week before they finish the season at home to title-chasing Surrey.

Having been up against it after two days, Sussex will be relieved with an outcome which stretches the gap between them and the bottom two. They host Yorkshire next week before finishing the season against Worcestershire at New Road.

After the entire third day was washed out, more rain delayed the start until 2pm, leaving Sussex 51 overs to score a further 241 at 4.7 runs per over.

On a pitch which was becoming more comfortable to bat on, Hampshire needed to take every opportunity going but in the third over of the day wicketkeeper Ben Brown put down a chance low to his right offered by night watcher Sean Hunt off Kyle Abbott. In the next over Hunt edged Keith Barker between second and third slips.

Just 27 minutes were possible before another shower drove the players off with six overs lost but Hampshire then struck twice in successive overs to give themselves hope. Hunt had done his job, using up 61 balls in making 19 before left-arm spinner Bjorn Furtain pinned him lbw half forward.

In the next over Barker picked up a deserved wicket when Ollie Carter was bowled by a delivery which nipped back onto his off stump. But only 8.4 overs more were bowled either side of tea before another downpour was quickly followed by handshakes on the dressing-room balcony.

Hampshire took a firm grip of their championship match against Sussex on the second day at Hove.  In a low-scoring game they took a first innings lead of 104 after Sussex were bowled out for 122, losing their last seven wickets for 79.

Hampshire then recovered from 89 for seven to 173 in their second knock, with James Fuller top-scoring with 49. That set Sussex 278 and at the close they had reached 37 for the loss of Daniel Hughes.  Eighteen wickets fell in the day, after 13 had gone down in the first.  The losing team here will take just three points, and could be dragged into the relegation argument, but rain is forecast for the second half of the match.

Sussex resumed on a precarious 42 for three and were almost immediately in deeper trouble.  With the third ball of the morning night watchman Sean Hunt was trapped in front of his stumps by Abbott. 

It was 60 for five six overs later when  Hughes, only half-forward to a delivery from Abbott which nipped back off the seam, was also lbw.  Hughes had spent 87 balls compiling 21, as if to prove that even determined application was not enough to overcome the challenging pitch. Abbott’s opening spell was 5-2-4-2. Hampshire supporters are delighted that the 38-year-old has signed a one-year extension to his contract.

Tom Alsop and captain John Simpson added 31 for the sixth wicket in nine overs, slowly building hope in the Sussex supporters that their side could get somewhere near the Hampshire total.

But at 91 Simpson got an edge to one down the leg side from the slow left-armer Bjorn Fortuin and Ben Brown, moving alertly to his right, took a smart catch. Jack Carson  brought up the hundred in the 44th over when he swung Fortuin to leg for four. But he was bowled through the gate by a sharp nip-backer from Abbott; 104 for seven.

It didn’t get any better.  It was 115 for eight when Fynn Hudson-Prentice, playing back when he should have been forward, was bowled by Fortuin for seven.  Robinson made a premeditated slog-sweep to his first delivery and was lbw and the last wicket fell two overs later when Alsop, hitting out, was caught  at deep midwicket for 39.  So former Hampshire player Alsop had top-scored for Sussex just as former Sussex player Brown had made Hampshire’s best score the day before.

When Hampshire batted again Fletcha Middleton had his off stump plucked out by Jaydev Unadkat in the second over and two balls later Nick Gubbins, trying to avoid a delivery from the same bowler, only succeeded in playing on.  Robinson switched to the sea end and immediately uprooted Ali Orr’s off stump;  31 for three in the 12th.

James Coles came on and after five overs the spinner’s figures read 5-1-15-4.  Toby Albert was lbw, Tom Prest saw one turn past his bat and knock back his off-stump, Fortuin was caught down the leg side and Brown, after another vital innings of 30, scooped his attempted sweep up into the air.  But the tail, led by Fuller, wagged to put Hampshire on top.

Hampshire were bowled out for 226 in just 71.3 overs after being asked to bat first on a challenging Hove pitch on the opening day of their championship match against Sussex. That left Sussex to face 22 overs and by the close they had reached 42 for three as Hampshire fought their way back into the match.

Not for the first time the Hampshire innings was held together by their captain Ben Brown, once a very popular player in Sussex colours.  But even Brown needed some good fortune on his way to a 129-ball 71, and he was dropped behind by opposite number John Simpson off the bowling of Sean Hunt when he had scored just 18.

At the start of the day just 15 points separated the teams between fifth and ninth places.  And both Hampshire, in fifth position, and Sussex, just two points behind, started the match in search of reassuring, anti-relegation points.

Hampshire, who made four changes, bringing in Ali Orr, Toby Albert, Bjorn Fortuin and Keith Barker, reached a diffident 81 for three at lunch against a rejigged Sussex seam attack which welcomed back Olli Robinson, Jaydev Unadkat and Sean Hunt.

Sussex, who had lost their two most recent championship games by an innings, broke through in the sixth over when Fletcha Middleton, driving at a wide delivery from Unadkat, edged behind.  It was 47 for two in the 14th over when former Sussex opener Orr clipped Hunt to short leg where Oli Carter took a very sharp catch, low down.  And Robinson picked up his first wicket in his livelier second spell when, bowling over the wicket to the left-handed Nick Gubbins, he straightened one to have the batsman lbw.

After the break the Hampshire batsmen found the going no easier on a rather sticky surface.  The pitch – being used for the first time this season for a championship match – did not encourage strokeplay.  Albert pulled left-armer Hunt through midwicket to bring up the hundred in the 35th over but when he attempted a similar stroke against Robinson he gloved the ball to slip.

Tom Prest also perished as he attempted to be positive, clipping Fynn Hudson-Prentice to Daniel Hughes at midwicket. Fortuin played himself in but when he jumped down the wicket to drive Jack Carson through the on-side he was through the stroke too soon and chipped it back to the bowler.

Hampshire put all their eggs in Brown’s basket, and the batsman gathered his runs with sweeps and nudges, mostly on the leg-side. But when he swept Carson for a single to reach his half-century it had taken him 105 deliveries.  From 119 for five Brown led his side to partial recovery, but once he was eighth out at 215, sweeping Carson to square-leg, Hampshire’s resistance was broken.

Conditions were no easier when Sussex batted.  Tom Haines edged Kyle Abbott waist-high to second slip and Carter was bowled by a nip-backer from Keith Barker. Shortly before the close, James Coles, driving loosely, dragged a delivery from James Fuller onto his stumps.

Sharks VI Edge Thriller to Win the Cup!

The 1st Central County Ground in Hove hosted its second BCEW Primary Club Heindrich Swanepoel Cup Final on Saturday 6th September between Sussex Sharks and London Metro. It looked like it was going to be a tough contest on paper as both sides came fully loaded with their strongest line ups.

Dan Field won the toss for Sussex and asked Metro to have a  bat. The runs flowed freely from one end with bowling into the stiff breeze looking difficult  and both openers taking advantage with a  flurry of boundaries. In the 7th over the game turned as England star Matt Dean (24) hit a powerful on-drive, Ian “Tiny” Morris blocked the ball straight back to the wicket-keeper who smartly knocked the stumps over to secure the run out with the score on 45. 

The game then went quiet for a period as Dave Daniels (6  overs for just 16 runs) kept things tight. Nick Ebeck (30) was run out by Callum Weir and Andy Law (10) was also run-out, this time by Marcus Kipling both with the score on 91. Thomas Froud (46) then brought the impetus to the inning, his 33 ball knock included 6 boundaries but his quick singles saw the scoreboard rattling along. His innings ended with a spectacular catch on the boundary by Joe Harrison hanging on to a ball that was swirling in the stiff breeze. The Sharks ground fielding saw them effect no less than 6 run outs with Metro skipper Rory Field falling to one of those off the last ball of the innings to see Metro close on 177 for 9. Phil Daniels 2 wickets for just 13 runs off of 6 overs was the pick of the Sharks attack.

Metro started brightly with Sam Hoskins (6 overs 3 wickets for 26) bowling Dave Daniels with the score on 0 in the first over. Whereas Metro had scored freely at the start of their innings the Sharks just couldn’t get going and were losing wickets at regular intervals. When the Sharks slumped to 70 for 5  things looked to be turning in Metro's favour even though the asking rate had never got higher than 7. Dan Field (42) and Joe Harrison (28) led the Sharks fightback but when Joe fell to an excellent close catch by Rob Mackenzie it was clear that the Sharks tail were going to be left to try and pull off a miracle. 

When Metro Skipper Rory Field  (2 wickets for 37 runs off 6 overs) clean bowled Phil Daniels the game looked won with the Sharks 8 down. However Metro had bowled out all of their frontline bowlers and needed to find 3 overs to fill in their 30. With the pressure building  extras started to play their part  and the win still looked a  faint possibility for the Sharks. A tight 29th over left the Sharks needing 10 off the 30th.

In a tense stadium, a three and three singles left the Sharks needing 4 off the final 2 balls, a 2 and then a wide meant the scores were level with 1 ball to go. The academics on the sideline tried to get the message out that a dot would win the game for the Sharks but there was no need as a scampered single off the last ball saw the sharks heroes Marcus Kipling (16*) and Alex Towers (5*) send the home crowd into raptures.

It had been an epic final at a fantastic venue, Sussex Chair John Filby who presented the medals said;

This ground has seen the best players put in some epic performances on it, I have been watching cricket here for years and I have seen fewer games that were better than that. 

Partially Sighted Player of the Match was Sharks keeper Si Ledwith who took 2 excellent catches behind the stumps and kept faultlessly in difficult conditions. The Totally Blind Player of the Match was Metro’s Sam Hoskins, his 3 for 26 keeping Metro in the game.

The Sharks have secured a League and Cup double but the BCEW T20 Finals Day awaits on Saturday 20th September, their opponents in the Semi-Final, London Metro, game on.