Match Preview: Hampshire Men v Sussex, Rothesay County Championship

Hampshire Men v Sussex

Rothesay County Championship

Thursday 24-Sunday 27 September (10:30am start)

Utilita Bowl

Hampshire Men host el clasicoast rivals Sussex in the final match of the season at Utilita Bowl.

Nick Gubbins notched his first hundred of the season with 133, while captain Ben Brown made an unbeaten 80 in the first innings last week against Leicestershire.

Kyle Abbott’s four for 58 saw him surpass the 60-wicket mark, whilst Scott Currie and Manny Lumsden also shone with the ball.

Unfortunately, the Rose and Crown’s defeat to Leicestershire confirmed their relegation to Division Two for 2027, ending a 12-year run in the top flight.

Sussex defeated reigning champions Nottinghamshire by seven wickets in their last outing at Hove.

Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat picked up his 500^th First Class wicket on his way to seven for 138, while Greek international Ari Karvelas – released by Sussex at the end of last season before rejoining for the final block of fixtures – picked up five for 42.

Fifties from Tom Clark, Charlie Tear, Tom Price, and Jack Carson saw the Martlets to 358 in their first innings before they chased down their target of 76 in 18 overs to seal 22 points.

Hampshire defeated Sussex in their previous meeting at Hove in June, when the Rose and Crown triumphed by 118 runs.

Kyle Abbott claimed six first-innings wickets and nine in the match, with his final two wickets to win the game coming off consecutive deliveries just after tea on day three.

Hampshire

Hampshire have named a 13-player squad for their Rothesay County Championship match away to south coast rivals Sussex.

Jake Lehmann has returned to Australia.

Following his century against Leicestershire last week, Nick Gubbins is 182 runs away from 1,000 in the County Championship, whilst Eddie Jack is four away from 25 wickets for the competition having played in just eight matches.

Sussex

Previewed by Bruce Talbot, ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay

Captain: Ollie Robinson/Tom Haines

Head coach: Paul Farbrace

2026 standings: 4^th (six wins, three defeats, four draws, 176 points)

2026 highest run-scorer: Daniel Hughes (746)

2026 highest wicket-taker: Henry Crocombe (40)

Key winter moves: Sussex added three red-ball players to their Rothesay County Championship squad, giving themselves more options in two key areas: the top order and the all-rounder slot. Jack Leaning is back working with Paul Farbrace, the coach who knows him best, while Tom Price is a genuine all-rounder who will relish the step up to Division One. Seamer Dom Goodman has followed Price from Gloucestershire and will offer good back-up to Ollie Robinson and the other quicks.

What we’re looking forward to seeing: James Coles is likely to get the chance to showcase his undoubted talent in the top four, and it’s unlikely to faze him. Can the experienced Jack Leaning rediscover his best form after linking up with Farbrace again, and how will Ollie Robinson, who now has the twin responsibilities of leading the seam attack and captaining the team, handle the extra responsibility? Tom Price adds beef to an already strong lower-middle order and is a potential match-changer with bat and ball.

Aiming to catch Test selectors’ eye: If Coles makes his England debut this summer, it’s likely to be in one-day cricket after he picked up a £390k contract at The Hundred. But the 21-year-old has all the skills to develop into a Test batter too. He scored four centuries last season – his first in Division One – and is capable of kicking on this summer.

Final thought: Sussex start the season with a 12-point deduction for financial misdemeanours, but Farbrace thinks his squad is strong enough to be considered title challengers. Although opener Daniel Hughes is back from Australia, there will be no overseas bowler until Jaydev Unadkat arrives in June and that might stretch bowling resources in the first half of the season. But if they can keep their key players fit and utilise the squad depth, Sussex can improve on last season’s fourth place.

Head-to-Head

Hampshire Men’s record in County Championship matches v Sussex:

Last five meetings:

• June 19-22 2026 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Hampshire won by 118 runs
• September 8-11 2025 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Match Drawn
• May 23-26 2025 | Utilita Bowl | Sussex won by nine wickets
• August 1-4 2020 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Sussex won by 94 runs
• June 7-10 2015 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Hampshire won by six wickets

Ticketing

Tickets for Hampshire Men v Sussex in the Rothesay County Championship are available by clicking here.

Coverage

The match will be live streamed on the Hampshire Cricket YouTube channel. Radio commentary will be available on the BBC Sport website and app, and on BBC Sounds.

A live match centre with scorecard, statistics, and insight will be available via www.utilitabowl.com/cricket/news.

Fans can stay updated on the match via the Hampshire Cricket X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, where regular score updates, photos from the game, and match clips will be shared.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Utilita Bowl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2634447.