Sussex start 2023 cricket season at home to Durham and end with Gloucestershire clash

Sussex will start and end their county championship campaign at Hove

As well as the usual array of County Championship, Vitality Blast and One Day Cup fixtures, the 1st Central County Ground will also host fixtures for the Southern Vipers, England U19’s and England Women’s teams.

But there’s disappointment for Arundel, Horsham and Eastbourne with no plans to play any county matches at any of the three popular outgrounds, with Sussex saying ‘fixture constraints’ prevent it.

Pre-season Friendlies

In preparation for the County Championship Sussex will play both Hampshire and Surrey in two-day friendlies at The 1st Central County Ground. Hampshire visit on Thursday 23rd March, followed then by Surrey on Monday 27th March.

The final warm-up fixture will see Sussex take on Exeter University in a three-day game, starting on Saturday 1st April.

LV= Insurance County Championship

The LV= Insurance County Championship gets underway for Sussex on Thursday 6th April 2023 with Durham visiting The 1st Central County Ground for the season opener.

The opening fixture proceeds five more games in the County Championship before the campaign is put on hold for the T20 Vitality Blast, starting at the end of May.

The remaining County Championship games then come in June and July, before rounding up in September.

With Yorkshire joining the division this season, one of the standout fixtures is the trip to Headingly on Wednesday 19th July. Sussex last played Yorkshire at Headingly in April 2021, where Dan Ibrahim became the youngest ever player to make a half-century in the County Championship.

The championship season ends in late September, with Gloucestershire’s visit to Hove the final game.

Vitality Blast

Captain Ravi Bopara will once again lead the Sharks into T20 action this summer, joined by World Champion Tymal Mills for 7 more games at The 1st Central County Ground, as well as 7 away games in the Southern Group.

The action gets underway on Friday 26th May under the lights at Hove as the Sharks host Somerset.

On Friday 16th June the Sussex Sharks take on the Hampshire Hawks, with the final home game taking place on Saturday 1st July against Gloucestershire.

Finals Day will once again take place at Edgbaston on Saturday 15th July.

One Day Cup

Last year’s One Day Cup campaign was certainly one to remember, and the Sharks will be looking to go even further in 2023 and better reaching the semi-final in 2022.

The Sharks will play two warm-up fixtures before the tournament begins, first taking on our pathway partners Oxfordshire, before playing against Buckinghamshire two days later at The 1st Central County Ground on Tuesday 1st August.

The Sharks then get the campaign underway on Friday 4th August, with Durham the visitors to Hove, with the group stage once again consisting of 4 home and 4 away games followed by the quarter and semi-finals, all played throughout August.

One fixture to note is also the visit of Warwickshire on Tuesday 22nd August, who Sussex haven't played in List A cricket for nearly 10 years at The 1st Central County Ground.

The final takes place at Trent Bridge, on Saturday 16th September.

Southern Vipers

The Southern Vipers return once again to Hove, playing two matches in May against the Western Storm and Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, followed by another against the Sunrisers on Wednesday 7th June in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

England Women

Last summer a sell-out crowd witnessed some of the best female cricketers in the world, and they return this year as England Women take on Sri Lanka Women in an ODI at The 1st Central County Ground on Sunday 17th September.

England U19s

The England Young Lions (U19s), now headed up by former Academy Director and Sussex legend Mike Yardy, will also play two ODI’s against Australia U19’s on the 2nd and 4th September at The 1st Central County Ground.

World Test Series – Arundel

Although fixture constraints mean we are unable to provide outground cricket for Sussex fans in 2023, there will be an opportunity to visit Arundel to watch an International World Test Series warm-up fixture, with tickets heavily discounted for Sussex Members.