Notes: The table lists, in runs-conceded order, all instances of bowlers taking nine or eight wickets in an innings. The first column, headed Analysis, gives overs bowled, maidens, runs conceded and wickets taken, in that order. Edwards was playing in his first match in the competition. The best seven-wicket return is by L.J.Hatchett with 11.5-4-15-7 v Hampshire, Birdham, 2010. Donelan took 15 wickets for 142 in the 1990 instance above, the only bowler to take fifteen wickets in a match for the side.
Most wickets in a season
Pos
Player
Season
Mtch
Overs
Mdn
Runs
Wkt
Avge
1
V.C.Dreakes
1994
14
405.2
87
1,150
65
17.69
2
H.Newton
1966
15
495.1
150
1,254
64
19.59
3
R,J.Kirtley
1995
15
404.1
86
1,313
58
22.63
4
D.R.Doshi
1972
11
347.5
110
1,025
55
18.63
5
H.Newton
1965
16
505.1
162
1,176
53
22.18
6
R.G.L.Cheatle
1976
9
347.1
130
755
50
15.10
7
C.E.Waller
1978
7
317.2
132
568
47
12.08
8
R.G.L.Cheatle
1975
9
260.2
85
719
46
15.63
B.T.P.Donelan
1990
13
363
114
919
46
19.97
J.J.Bates
1996
16
468
112
1,340
46
29.13
11
A.Willows
1983
11
390.3
137
978
41
23.85
Notes: The table lists all bowlers taking 40 wickets or more in season.
Most wickets in a career
Pos
Player
Seasons
Mtch
Pvers
Mdn
Runs
Wkt
Avge
1
H.Newton
1959, 1961-1967
60
1,817.1
546
4,488
208
21.57
2
R.G.L.Cheatle
1971-1983
47
1,451.2
529
3,362
198
16.97
3
W.A.T.Beer
2006-2021
64
1,371.4
258
4,308
177
24.37
4
R.J.Kirtley
1993-1997, 2006-2010
53
1,272
272
3,816
169
22.57
5
J.J.Bates
1995-2000
65
2,014.1
471
5,883
168
35.01
6
C.P.Phillipson
1970-1986
75
1,288.3
362
3,107
155
20.04
7
B.T.P.Donelan
1988-1993
44
1,554.2
417
4,341
151
28.74
8
A.Willows
1978-1984
55
1,645.5
499
4,681
144
32.50
9
O.P.Rayner
2002-2011
43
1,148
258
3,292
142
23.18
10
N.C.Phillips
1991-1997
60
1,704.1
492
4,484
126
35.58
11
D.L.Bates
1959, 1960, 1963-1972
34
795.1
21.4
2,130
123
17.31
M.R.Strong
1994, 1996-1999
39
1,009.1
213
3,140
123
25.52
Notes: The table lists all bowlers taking 120 or more wickets. Cheatle took five wickets or more in an innings 13 times, the most for the side.
Fielding
Most catches in an innings
Pos
Catches
Player
Match
1
5
R.J.Langridge
v Gloucestershire, Eastbourne, 1966
5
C.A.L.Davis
v Glamorgan, Abergavenny, 2016
3
4
D.J.Foreman
v Kent, Broadstairs, 1965
4
L.J.Lenham
v Essex, Walthamstow, 1968
4
J.J.Groome
v Middlesex, Harefield, 1976
4
C.P.Phillipson
v Middlesex, Harefield, 1983
4
M.W.Pringle
v Warwickshire, Horsham, 1988
4
L.W.P.Wells
v Surrey, Purley, 2014
4
H.Z.Finch
v Middlesex, Richmond, 2015
Notes: The table lists all fielders making four or more catches in an innings. There have been eleven instances of fielders taking five catches in a match.
Most catches in a season
Pos
Player
Season
Matches
Catches
Avge
1
D.J.Foreman
1965
16
24
1.50
2
K.Greenfield
1990
14
20
1.42
3
D.J.Foreman
1968
14
19
1.35
4
J.J.Bates
1996
16
18
1.12
5
K.Greenfield
1998
10
17
1.70
K.Greenfield
1994
13
17
1.30
K.S.McEwan
1972
12
17
1.41
8
S.J.Hoadley
1975
10
16
1.60
C.P.Phillipson
1985
12
16
1.33
M.A.Thornely
2007
11
16
1.45
11
H.Z.Finch
2015
9
15
1.66
Notes: The table lists all fielders making 15 or more catches in a season. The figures exclude catches made when players were wicketkeepers. Column six, headed ‘Avge’, gives the average number of catches per match for each player.
Most catches in a career
Pos
Player
Seasons
Matches
Catches
Avge
1
K.Greenfield
1986-2001
118
128
1.08
2
C.P.Phillipson
1970-1986
75
82
1.09
3
D.J.Foreman
1959-1969
69
71
1.04
4
O.P.Rayner
2002-2011
45
53
1.08
5
N.C.Phillips
1991-1997
60
49
0.81
6
J.J.Bates
1995-2000
65
47
0.72
7
H.Z.Finch
2011-2017, 2019
39
43
1.10
8
R.G.L.Cheatle
1971-1983
47
41
0.87
P.R.V.Ledden
1960-1969
65
41
0.63
10
P.J.Graves
1962-1967, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977
42
40
0.95
Notes: The table lists all fielders making 40 or more catches. The figures exclude catches made when players were wicketkeeping. Column six, headed ‘Avge’, gives the average number of catches per match for each player.
Wicketkeeping
Most dismissals in an innings
Pos
Total
Ct/St
Player
Match
1
6
6/0
A.J.Hodd
v Yorkshire, Hove, 2006
6
5/1
C.F.Jackson
v Hampshire, West End, 2015
3
5
4/1
P.Moores
v Essex, Eastbourne, 1985
5
5/0
M.P.Speight
v Surrey, Banstead, 1988
5
3/2
C.H.H.Pegg
v Derbyshire, Hove, 1990
5
4/1
S.Humphries
v Warwickshire, Hove, 1993
5
4/1
S.Humphries
v Essex, Eastbourne, 1996
5
5/0
S.Humphries
v Warwickshire, Horsham, 1997
5
5/0
T.R.Ambrose
v Kent, Hove, 2002
5
5/0
C.F.Jackson
v Northamptonshire, Horsham, 2013
5
4/1
C.F.Jackson
v Glamorgan, Fulking, 2015
5
5/0
J.W.Jenner
v Hampshire, Newport [I.o.W], 2017
Notes: The table lists all wicketkeepers making five or more dismissals in an innings. Hodd’s six catches in the 2006 instance are the most catches for the side. H.J.Kasey made three stumpings in an innings v Surrey, Hove, 1989 and S Humphries, three in an innings v Nottinghamshire, Horsham, 1996, the most stumpings for the side. C.F.Jackson made a total of eight dismissals (7ct, 1st) in the 2015 instance above, the most dismissals for the side in a match.
Most dismissals in a season
Pos
Player
Season
Matches
Ct/St
Total
Avge
1
S.Humphries
1996
17
40/10
50
2.94
2
S.Humphries
1997
17
34/8
42
2.47
3
S.Humphries
1995
17
39/2
41
2.41
4
S.Humphries
1993
17
32/8
40
2.35
5
S.Humphries
1994
17
31/4
35
2.05
6
T.J.Head
1978
11
26/8
34
3.09
7
C.F.Jackson
2015
9
29/4
33
3.66
8
S.Humphries
1992
12
27/4
31
2.58
R.T.Webb
1959
10
22/9
31
3.10
10
P.Moores
1985
11
25/3
28
2.54
11
J.N.Smith
1991
13
24/3
27
2.07
Notes: The table lists all wicketkeepers making 25 or more dismissals in a season. The figures exclude catches made when players were fielding. Column seven, headed ‘Avge’ gives the average number of dismissals per match for each player. Humphries’ 40 catches and ten stumpings in 1990 are both the most for the side in a season.
Most dismissals in a career
Pos
Player
Seasons
Matches
Ct/St
Total
Avge
1
S.Humphries
1992-2000
105
220/36
256
2.43
2
T.J.Head
1975-1981, 1983, 1984, 1986
67
146/23
169
2.52
3
T.Gunn
1960-1968
72
131/24
155
2.15
4
A.J.Hodd
2002, 2003, 2006-2012
40
84/6
90
2.25
5
A.W.Mansell
1968-1975
48
71/18
89
1.85
6
B.C.Brown
2004-2011, 2013-2015, 2019, 2021
40
69/15
84
2.10
7
C.F.Jackson
2011-2015
33
77/5
82
2.48
8
N.J.Wilton
1979-1984
42
56/12
68
1.61
9
D.J.Smith
1979-1984
42
56/12
68
1.61
Notes: The table lists all wicketkeepers making 50 or more dismissals for the side. The figures exclude catches made when players were fielding. Column seven headed ‘Avge’ gives the average number of dismissals per match for each player. Humphries’ 220 catches and his 36 stumpings are both, respectively, the most for the side.
The figures in the tables above derive largely from three sources. These are [a] the CricketArchive database which now contains details of all Sussex matches in the competition; [b] the 38 editions of the First-Class Counties Second Eleven Annual, published by ACS; and [c] the Sussex County Cricket Club’s own annuals and scorebooks. Our thanks are due in particular, to the scorers who stand behind all this data; they have ranged from committed, dedicated experts through to twelfth men and even schoolboys pressed into service in the scorebox! As this is the first time these tables have seen the light of day, there is the liklihood or errors and omissions; we’d appreciate it if readers would bring these to the attention of the Sussex Cricket Museum.