Sussex hope for Arundel return as championship schedule is revealed
Sussex’s 2020-21 season is starting to take shape with full details of their group games in the 2021 County Championship now released.
As previously announced, Sussex are playing alongside Glamorgan, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Yorkshire in group three of the seeded group stage of the competition.
Sussex have said they hope to play one game at the picturesque Arundel Castle ground – though that remains subject to Covid restrictions allowing it.
Arundel missed out last year – its scheduled four-day Sussex championship match fell in the period when cricket was not being played.
In 2021 Ian Salisbury’s men will kick-off the campaign with the visit of Lancashire to The 1st Central County Ground from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 April.
A trip to Sophia Gardens to take on Glamorgan follows betweenThursday15andSunday 18 April, before Yorkshire come to Hove for the first time since 2015 from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 April.
Skipper Ben Brown, Chris Jordan and Ollie Robinson are the only current Sussex fourday players who also featured during the White Rose county’s last visit.
The return fixture against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford takes place between Thursday 29 April and Sunday 2 May with a trip to Northamptonshire from Thursday 6 May to Sunday 9 May making it two away games in a row.
Consecutive home games at The 1st Central County Ground against Kent (Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 May) and Northamptonshire (Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 May) are next.
Thursday 3 June to Sunday 6 June sees Sussex head to Headingley – again for the first time in six seasons – to play Yorkshire, before the Championship pauses for the rest of June.
On June 20, Sussex Sharks will play Sri Lanka in a T20 tour match.
County championship action restarts on Sunday 4 July when Glamorgan visit The 1st Central County Ground for four days. The group stage concludes between Sunday 11 and Wednesday 15 July when Sussex meet Kent at Beckenham for just their second ever firstclass match at the South London venue and their first since Kent’s nine-wicket win in July 1893.
The 1st Central County Ground is currently listed as the venue for all of Sussex’s home matches in the competition, but it is hoped that it will be possible to play one match at Arundel Castle subject to the COVID-19 situation.
At this point, the top two teams from each group will go into division one, third and fourth into division two and fifth and sixth into division three for another four matches – two at home and two away.
These will be played on Monday 30 August to Thursday 2 September, Sunday 5 to Wednesday 8th September, Sunday 12 to Wednesday 15 September and Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 September.
The winner of division one will be crowned 2021 County Champions, before taking on the runners up in a five-day match at Lord’s between Monday 27 September and Friday t October.
Sussex’s remaining fixtures for the 2021 season in the Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup will be announced in the New Year.
Latest details of membership and ticketing sales for 2021 can be found on the club’s website.