Match preview: Sussex Sharks vs Lancashire, Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Sussex Sharks v Lancashire
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Group B
Friday August 15, 2025, 2pm
The 1st Central County Ground, Hove
Tomorrow, Lancashire play the first of two games in the south over the next three days, the Red Rose bidding for win number two in Group B under the lights at Hove.
Interim head coach Steven Croft and his players aim to bounce back from Tuesday’s Roses defeat against Yorkshire at York, a game in which opener Michael Jones scored an excellent 102.
A good few days against Sussex, and then Kent at Beckenham on Sunday, will leave Lancashire well placed in the race for knockout cricket later this month. The county currently have a win, a loss and a No Result to their name as they aim for a top-three finish.
Sussex have played three, won one and lost two so far.
Last time out, Sussex were beaten by Middlesex at Lord’s on Sunday when failing to defend their 255-9 total.
Opposition
Sussex finished bottom of Group B last year, winning only one of their eight games. That’s a haul they’ve matched already in the opening three games of this season’s campaign.
They beat Kent at home in their second game of the competition.
They’re captained by former Lancashire junior and Red Rose second-team player John Simpson, the experienced three-time England ODI wicketkeeper-batter.
Batting coach Grant Flower is their head coach in this competition, and he will hope to navigate them through to the knockouts - something the county achieved back in 2022.
Sussex last tasted List A success by winning the Pro40 National League in successive seasons in 2008 and 2009. In 2006, they beat Lancashire at Lord’s by 15 runs in a low-scoring Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy final.
Opposition player to watch
Emerging seamer Henry Crocombe has enjoyed an encouraging 12 months with the white ball in hand.
The 23-year-old, who is closing in on 100 senior appearances across all formats, was Sussex’s leading One-Day Cup wicket-taker with 10 scalps last season.
This term, he impressed with 15 wickets in nine games in the Vitality Blast, though the Sharks narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
Crocombe is a product of the Sussex Academy and bowls with good pace.
He made his List A debut against Lancashire in a thrilling defeat at Sedbergh School in July 2021, when the hosts chased 271 to win by two wickets having been 115-7.
Current Sussex all-rounder Danny Lamb starred for Lancashire that day with a brilliant 86 not out.
Previous meeting
Lancashire beat Sussex in the semi-finals of Metro Bank One-Day Cup in 2022, at Hove, thanks largely to a brilliant recovering 121 off 99 balls from Dane Vilas.
The Red Rose, having elected to bat, crumbled to 67-5 inside 15 overs.
But the club captain, not leading the side in 50-over cricket that campaign, shared a superb 122 partnership for the sixth wicket with George Lavelle, who contributed 50.
Danny Lamb also made a brisk 57 as the visitors totalled 319-8.
Vilas hit eight fours and six sixes before handing over the responsibility to the bowlers.
And they didn’t disappoint, bowling Sussex out for 254 inside 47 overs.
The wickets were shared around. Liam Hurt’s seam accounted for three of them, while Will Williams, Lamb and George Balderson all claimed two apiece.
Sussex slipped from a position of health at 126-2 in the 22nd over, with Lancashire going on to face Kent in the final. Unfortunately, they were beaten.
What they said
Steven Croft is confident Lancashire can overcome some adversity and put themselves into a position to qualify for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup knockouts.
The Red Rose have one win from their opening three game and will realistically need another four from the remaining five to give themselves a chance of a top-three finish.
“Losing 13 to the Hundred, and a couple of injuries in there as well, makes it hard,” said the county’s interim head coach. “But there are opportunities for people like Luke Hands the other day (Somerset).
“For younger lads in the second team who have been putting the numbers on the board, it’s great to see what they can do.
“There’s been some glimpses so far, and hopefully we can keep improving.
“We obviously take the learnings from every loss, but we don't dwell on it and take the positives from the Yorkshire game down to Hove.
“It’s not just this comp, all cricket is about momentum. It’s about going down there and getting two wins, and hopefully by the end of the week you're right back up there.”
How’s Stat!
Tom Bailey’s early wicket of Adam Lyth at York on Tuesday, as Yorkshire chased 295, was the Red Rose seamer’s 50th in List A cricket.
The 34-year-old Prestonian has played 41 matches since debuting in August 2014. Two of his wickets came in a solitary appearance for the England Lions in India at the start of 2019. The rest have come in a Lancashire shirt.