Background

Notts Outlaws aim to continue their fine start to this season’s Yorkshire Bank 40 competition when they host Sussex Sharks at Trent Bridge on Friday 21 June at 16.10 hours.

The Outlaws currently top Group A with an impeccable record of seven straight victories, achieved with their 4-wicket success against Netherlands on Wednesday. Their opponents were also in midweek action and came out on the wrong end of a thrilling contest against Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.

Sussex posted 336 for five with openers Luke Wright (115) and Chris Nash (83) putting on 194 in 18.3 overs. Incredibly, Kent chased down that total, thanks to a rapid century from Darren Stevens to record a 3-wicket victory with 9 balls remaining.

The loss keeps the Sharks in fifth place in the group, on six points from eight matches.

Head to Head

In all one-day competitions Notts and Sussex have contested 47 fixtures, with Notts ahead by 25 wins to 19.

Two matches have been washed-out, without a ball being bowled, and the 2004 match in Hove ended in a thrilling tie.

This evening’s match will be the 25th time that Notts have hosted Sussex. Most of the matches have been at Trent Bridge, although they have also played a single match at the John Player Ground in Nottingham, at Worksop and at Cleethorpes.

Notts have gained 16 wins to Sussex’s 7 in their home contests, with the 1994 clash being abandoned.

First And Last Meeting

The first one-day meeting at Trent Bridge between Notts and Sussex took place on 6 July 1969.

Notts scored 194 for seven in their 40-overs per side Player’s County League match, with wicketkeeper Deryck Muray making an unbeaten 58.

Despite 70 from opener Ian Lenham, Sussex could only reach 187 for six, leaving Notts as winners by 7 runs.

The most recent meeting was the September 2008 clash, described in greater detail below, in the History section.

Stats

Nottinghamshire’s highest home score is 292, which has been achieved twice.

In 1996 they scored 292-2 in a 40-over match (details below in History section) and seven years later they posted 292-5 in a 45-over match.

Sussex’s highest Trent Bridge score is the 255 they posted in 1990.

Paul Pollard’s 118 in 1996 is the highest score by a Notts batsman at home to Sussex, with Paul Johnson and Jason Gallian the only other centurions.

Mike Buss scored 121 in the Worksop meeting in 1971, the highest score by a Sussex batsman in the fixtures. Chris Adams, with exactly 100 in 1998, is the only visitor to reach three figures at Trent Bridge.

Gareth Clough’s career-best 6 for 25 in 2006 is the best by a Notts bowler at home to Sussex, with Bill Taylor collecting figures of 8-3-11-4 in the game at the John Player Ground in Nottingham in 1972. On that occasion Sussex were bowled out for just 102, their lowest score on trips to Notts.

Adrian Jones, with 7-41 in 1986 has, not only the best Sussex figures at Trent Bridge but also the best one-day figures by anyone against Notts anywhere.

The only hat-trick in the meetings came at Hove in 2009, when Dwayne Smith removed Bilal Shafayat, Kevin O’Brien and Jake Ball in successive deliveries.

Played For Them Both

The last county cricketer to achieve the first class double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in the same season has links to both counties.

Franklyn Stephenson played for Notts from 1988 to 1991 and featured in 82 first class matches, completing his most famous feat in his first season at Trent Bridge.

The Barbadian, who has hosted the Notts team at his cricket academy on their last two pre-season tours, joined Sussex in 1992 and appeared 62 times for them.

In 2000 Giles Haywood moved north to join Notts from Sussex but he only made five List-A appearances for the Outlaws before being released.

The first three accredited List-A matches of David Hussey’s career were for the Sussex Cricket Board in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

In 2001 he played against Shropshire at Hastings, Gloucestershire at Horsham and the Essex Cricket Board at Chelmsford, scoring an unbeaten 118 in the final match.

History

Nottinghamshire posted their best-ever 40-over score (since beaten) in a home match against Sussex.

At Trent Bridge in May 1996 Notts could thank Paul Pollard, who made 118 from 108 balls, and Paul Johnson, who hit an undefeated 97 from 78 balls, for reaching 292-2 in the AXA Equity and Law League, securing victory by 129 runs.

On 14 September 2008 Sussex’s Murray Goodwin played one of the best one-day innings ever seen at Trent Bridge.

Goodwin’s sensational innings cruelly denied Nottinghamshire the silverware they appeared to have at least one hand on.

In a straight winner-takes-all shoot-out to decide who would win the NatWest Pro40 League, the home side made 226-7.

With eight overs remaining, Sussex had been nowhere to be seen on 130-8 but then Goodwin cut loose.

Partnered by Pakistan’s Mohammad Sami, who made 32 not out, the former Zimbabwean Test batsman scored 87 not out from 64 balls, hitting the final ball of the match for six to ensure the trophy would head to Hove.

Bracegirdle's Interesting Fact

Kepler Wessels, the father of current Notts favourite Riki, played his county cricket for Sussex between 1976 and 1980.

The left-handed batsman, who played Test cricket for both Australia and South Africa, played in 53 first class matches for the south coast county, scoring 4,329 runs at an average of 52.15.

Kepler’s first one-day hundred came on his debut for Sussex at Hove against Notts. His 106 clinched victory and won him the man of the match award in just his fifth career one-day appearance and first in England.

Milestones

Notts will be heading for an unprecedented eighth straight one-day victory if they defeat the Sharks. In 1976 they won their first seven matches of the campaign.

Chris Read has scored 4,963 one-day runs and Alex Hales has hit 1,949.

Team News

Mick Newell welcomes David Hussey back into the Outlaws fold, with the Australian replacing Ed Cowan as the overseas star for the remainder of the campaign.

Harry Gurney, rested for the trip to Truro, will also be added to the squad that were on duty there.

Tickets

For ticket prices and match information click here. Tickets can be purchased by calling our Ticket Hotline on 0844 811 8711 or by clicking here. 

Coverage

BBC Radio Nottingham will be providing ball-by-ball on-line commentary, via the BBC Sport website.

Sky Sports viewers can enjoy the action on Sky Sports 2 HD from 1600 hours.