Sussex will start the 2026 County Championship season with a 12-point deduction after entering a three-year framework with the England and Wales Cricket Board to address the club’s financial problems. The agreement, which includes safeguards, controls and closer ECB oversight, will remain in place until 2029.
As part of the arrangement, Sussex will also lose one point in each of the two limited-overs competitions — the Vitality Blast and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. The club, which finished fourth in Division One last summer, reported sustained operating losses in the last financial year and has taken the measures to protect its future while changes are implemented.
Interim chief executive Mark West said: “We fully understand how disappointing this news will be for everyone connected with Sussex. Since taking on the interim role at the end of last season, it has become clear that a combination of internal decisions and wider economic pressures have contributed to the position the club finds itself in today. The points deductions will be an unexpected blow to the players and supporters, but we accept the ECB’s decision. We are sorry – it hasn’t been good enough. Our responsibility now is to put things right and ensure the club is in a stronger position going forward.”
Under the deal, Sussex will be subject to a salary cap and must submit a three-year business plan to the ECB demonstrating sustainable year-on-year operating profits by 2027-28. Meeting these and other requirements would allow the club to avoid a suspended £100,000 fine.
Each side in the 2026 County Championship will play a 14-match schedule; a win is worth 16 points, with up to eight bonus points available in each match.