Sussex County Cricket Club

Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Sussex. Its limited overs team is called the Sussex Sharks. The club was founded in 1839 as a successor to the various Sussex county cricket teams, including the old Brighton Cricket Club, which had been representative of the county of Sussex as a whole since the 1720s. The club has always held first-class status. Sussex have competed in the County Championship since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.[1]

Sussex County Cricket Club
One Day nameSussex Sharks
Personnel
CaptainBen Brown (FC/LA)
Luke Wright (T20)
CoachIan Salisbury (FC/LA)
James Kirtley (T20)
Overseas player(s)Travis Head
Stiaan van Zyl
Rashid Khan (T20)
David Wiese (T20)
Team information
Founded1839
Home groundCounty Cricket Ground, Hove
Capacity6,000
History
First-class debutMCC
in 1839
at Lord's
Championship wins3
National League/Pro40 wins3
FP Trophy wins5
Twenty20 Cup wins1
NatWest Pro40 wins1
Official websitesussexcricket.co.uk

First-class

One-day

T20

The club colours are traditionally blue and white and the shirt sponsors are Aerotron for the Specsavers County Championship, Parafix for Royal London One-Day Cup matches and Boundless for NatWest Blast T20 matches. Its home ground is the County Cricket Ground, Hove. Sussex also play matches around the county at Arundel, Eastbourne and Horsham.

Sussex won its first ever official County Championship title in 2003 and subsequently became the dominant team of the decade, repeating the success in 2006 and 2007. In 2006 Sussex achieved ‘the double’, beating Lancashire to clinch the C&G Trophy, before winning the County Championship following an emphatic victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, in which Sussex defeated their hosts by an innings and 245 runs.[2] Sussex then won the title for the third time in five years in 2007, when in a nail-biting finale on the last day of the season,[3] Sussex defeated Worcestershire early in the day and then had to wait until past five o'clock as title rivals Lancashire narrowly failed to beat Surrey – prompting relieved celebrations at the County Cricket Ground, Hove.[4] Sussex enjoyed further limited overs success with consecutive Pro40 wins in 2008 and 2009 as well as beating Somerset at Edgbaston to lift the 2009 Twenty20 Cup. The south coast county ended the decade having won ten trophies in ten years.

On 1 November 2015, Sussex County Cricket Club (SCCC) merged with the Sussex Cricket Board (SCB) to form a single governing body for cricket in Sussex, called Sussex Cricket Limited (SCL).[5]

Honours

Sussex field against Derbyshire at Hove on 24 April 2005

First XI honours

  • County Championship (3) – 2003, 2006, 2007 [6][7]
Division Two (2) – 2001, 2010 [6]
  • Friends Provident Trophy[nb 1] (5) – 1963, 1964, 1978, 1986, 2006 [7][8][9]
  • Pro40 National League[nb 2] (3) – 1982, 2008, 2009 [7]
Division Two (2) – 1999, 2005

Second XI honours

  • Second XI Championship (3) – 1978, 1990, 2007
  • Second XI Trophy (1) – 2005

Notes

  1. Formerly known as the Gillette Cup (1963–1980), NatWest Trophy (1981–2000) and C&G Trophy (2001–2006)
  2. Formerly known as the Sunday League (1969–1998)

Earliest cricket

The Arthur Gilligan stand at Hove

Sussex, along with Kent, is believed to be the birthplace of cricket. It is believed that cricket was invented by children living on the Weald in Anglo-Saxon or Norman times.[11]

The first definite mention of cricket in Sussex relates to ecclesiastical court records in 1611 which state that two parishioners of Sidlesham in West Sussex failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12d each and made to do penance.

Cricket became established in Sussex during the 17th century and the earliest village matches took place before the English Civil War. It is believed that the earliest county teams were formed in the aftermath of the Restoration in 1660. In 1697, the earliest "great match" recorded was for 50 guineas apiece between two elevens at a venue in Sussex. It was possibly an inter-county match and has been classified as the earliest known top-class match in cricket history.[12]

Matches involving the two great Sussex patrons Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet were first recorded in 1725. The earliest known use of Sussex in a match title occurred in 1729. From 1741, Richmond patronised the famous Slindon Cricket Club, whose team was representative of the county.

After the death of Richmond in 1751, Sussex cricket declined until the emergence of the Brighton club at its Prince of Wales Ground in 1790. This club sustained cricket in Sussex through the Napoleonic Wars and, as a result, the county team was very strong in the 1820s when it included the great bowlers Jem Broadbridge and William Lillywhite.

Origin of club

The Pavilion at Hove

On 17 June 1836, the Sussex Cricket Fund was set up to support county matches, after a meeting in Brighton. This led directly to the formation on 1 March 1839 of Sussex County Cricket Club, England's oldest county club. Sussex CCC played its initial first-class match versus Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's on 10 & 11 June 1839.[11]

Sussex crest

The Sussex crest depicts a mythological, footless bird called the Martlet, and is similar to Coat of arms of Sussex. Capped players have six martlets on their sweaters, and the crest with gold trimming on their caps; uncapped players instead have only the club crest on their left breast, and white trimming on their caps.[7]

Sussex grounds

Exit of the County Ground at Hove

In total, Sussex CCC have played at 17 grounds, four of which have been in Brighton and Hove. The first County match was played at Eaton Road on 6 June 1872 against Gloucestershire.[7] Currently, the main venue for the club's First and Second XI is The County Ground in Hove, although matches are also played regularly at the grounds at Arundel and Horsham. Other grounds for first class matches have included Sheffield Park, Chichester, Worthing, Eastbourne and Hastings.[7]

Current squad

  • No. denotes the player's squad number, as worn on the back of their shirt.
  • denotes players with international caps.
  •  *  denotes a player who has been awarded a county cap.
No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting Style Bowling Style Notes
Batsmen
10Luke Wright*  England (1985-03-07) 7 March 1985Right-handedRight-arm mediumT20 captain;
List A & T20 only
20Tom Haines England (1998-10-28) 28 October 1998Left-handedRight-arm medium
24Aaron Thomason England (1997-06-26) 26 June 1997Right-handedRight-arm medium
27Tom Clark England (2001-07-02) 2 July 2001Left-handedRight-arm medium
28Phil Salt England (1996-08-28) 28 August 1996Right-handedRight-arm medium
62Travis Head  Australia (1993-12-29) 29 December 1993Left-handedRight-arm off breakOverseas player
74Stiaan van Zyl*  South Africa (1987-09-19) 19 September 1987Left-handedRight-arm mediumOverseas player
All-rounders
8Chris Jordan*  England (1988-10-04) 4 October 1988Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumEngland incremental contract
9Delray Rawlins  Bermuda (1997-09-14) 14 September 1997Left-handedSlow left-arm orthodox
15George Garton England (1997-04-15) 15 April 1997Left-handedLeft-arm fast
18Will Beer England (1988-10-08) 8 October 1988Right-handedRight-arm leg break
23Ravi Bopara  England (1985-05-04) 4 May 1985Right-handedRight-arm medium
96David Wiese*  South Africa (1985-05-18) 18 May 1985Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumOverseas player (T20 only)
Wicket-keepers
26Ben Brown* England (1988-11-23) 23 November 1988Right-handedClub captain
Bowlers
1Rashid Khan Afghanistan (1998-09-20) 20 September 1998Right-handedRight-arm leg breakOverseas player (T20 only)
4Mitch Claydon Australia (1982-11-25) 25 November 1982Left-handedRight-arm fast-mediumUK Passport
7Tymal Mills  England (1992-08-12) 12 August 1992Right-handedLeft-arm fastT20 only
12Stuart Meaker  England (1989-01-21) 21 January 1989Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
14Henry Crocombe England (2001-09-20) 20 September 2001Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
16Jack Carson Ireland (2000-12-03) 3 December 2000Right-handedRight-arm off break
22Jofra Archer*  England (1995-04-01) 1 April 1995Right-handedRight-arm fastEngland Test & white-ball contract
25Ollie Robinson* England (1993-12-01) 1 December 1993Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
Jamie Atkins EnglandN/ARight-handedRight-arm fast-medium
Sean Hunt England (2001-12-07) 7 December 2001Right-handedLeft-arm fast-medium
Source:[13] Updated: 28 August 2020

Coaching staff

  • Director of Cricket: Keith Greenfield
  • Head coaches: Ian Salisbury (FC/LA)
    James Kirtley (T20)[14]
  • Academy Director & Fielding Coach: Richard Halsall
  • Batting coach: Jason Swift
  • Seam Bowling coach: James Kirtley
  • Spin Bowling Coach: Ian Salisbury
  • 1st Team Scorer: Graham Irwin
  • 1st Team Analyst: Luke Dunning
  • Strength & Conditioning Coach: Matthew Spence
  • Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach: Dave McIlwaine
  • Head of Medical Management: Jon Marrale

Notable Sussex players

This list includes those Sussex players who have played in Test cricket since 1877, One Day International cricket since 1971, or have made an outstanding contribution (e.g.: scoring most runs or taking most wickets in a season).

Afghanistan

Australia

Bangladesh

England

England / Sri Lanka

India

Ireland

Netherlands

New Zealand

Pakistan

Scotland

South Africa

Sri Lanka

West Indies

Zimbabwe

Records

Team

  • Highest total for – 742/5d v. Somerset, Taunton, 2009 [17][18]
  • Highest total against – 726 by Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, 1895[19]
  • Lowest total for – 19 v. Surrey, Godalming, 1830, v. Nottinghamshire, Hove, 1873 [20]
  • Lowest total against – 18 by Kent, Gravesend, 1867[21]

Batting

Highest partnership for each wicket

Source:[25]

Bowling

  • Best bowling – 10–48 C. H. G Bland v. Kent, Tonbridge, 1899[26]
  • Best match bowling – 17–106 G. R. Cox v. Warwickshire, Horsham, 1926[27]
  • Wickets in season – 198 M. W. Tate, 1925[28]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. Mendis was eligible to play for either England or Sri Lanka, but did not represent either of them in international cricket.
  2. Joyce has previously played International Cricket for England.

Citations

  1. ACS (1982). A Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles. Nottingham: ACS.
  2. "BBC SPORT - Cricket - Counties - Mushtaq seals Sussex title glory". bbc.co.uk.
  3. "Lancashire go down fighting as Sussex secure title". Cricinfo.
  4. "'The best County Championship season ever'". Cricinfo.
  5. "New integrated body to run Sussex Cricket". Eastbourne Herald. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  6. "County Champions 1890-2013 / County Championship". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  7. "CLUB HISTORY: THE OLDEST CLUB IN THE UK". Sussex CCC. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  8. "Knockout cups Winners". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  9. "Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy, Final: Sussex v Lancashire at Lord's, Aug 26, 2006". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  10. "Six appeal / Twenty20 Cup". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  11. "Sussex County Cricket Club". talkCricket. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  12. "Classification of cricket matches from 1697 to 1825". btinternet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  13. "PLAYER PROFILES". Sussex CCC. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  14. "https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/18845806.ian-salisbury-james-kirtley-take-charge-sussex-ccc/". The Argus. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020. External link in |title= (help)
  15. "Most Runs for Sussex". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  16. "Most Wickets for Sussex". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  17. "Goodwin breaks records at Taunton". BBC Sport. 2 August 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  18. "HIGHEST TEAM TOTALS FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  19. "HIGHEST TEAM TOTALS AGAINST SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  20. "LOWEST TEAM TOTALS FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  21. "LOWEST TEAM TOTALS AGAINST SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  22. "MOST RUNS IN AN INNINGS FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  23. "MOST RUNS IN A SEASON FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  24. "Durham v Sussex at Chester-le-Street, Apr 26-29, 2015 - Cricket Scorecard - ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo.
  25. "HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP FOR EACH WICKET FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  26. "MOST WICKETS IN AN INNINGS FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  27. "MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  28. "MOST WICKETS IN A SEASON FOR SUSSEX". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 24 February 2015.

Further reading

  • Timothy J McCann, Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society, 2004
  • Playfair Cricket Annual: various issues
  • Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (annual): various issues
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