Sussex Cricket Museum

Karen Linfield tells the story of how she acquired a cricket ball that was hit by Viv Richards through the commentary box window, during a match played at the County Ground against the West Indies in 1988.

Frances Low was the first woman to join the Board of the Sussex County Cricket Club in the 1970s. In this podcast she talks to Johnny Barclay about her early interest in cricket and her love of scoring for Rottingdean Cricket Club before going on to talk about her time on the Sussex board.

Adrian Harms, BBC Surrey and Sussex Cricket commentator, talks to Roger Packham, author of 'Cricket in the Park', about the current exhibition on cricket at Sheffield Park  which closes on 23 November after which it will be at the Bluebell Railway Museum, Sheffield Park railway station, where it will stay until the end of January.

Roger Packham, well known cricket historian and author of 'Cricket in the Park' talks in this podcast about Lord Sheffield's passion for cricket and his establishment of one of the finest grounds in England, where in the late 19th century the Australian tourists began their tour of England by playing against Lord Sheffield's XI, captained by W.G. Grace.

In this podcast, the voice of Sussex Cricket, Adrian Harms, talks to Sussex Cricket historian Roger Packham about the Wisden exhibition in the Sussex Cricket Museum.

Cuckfield is in Mid-Sussex and cricket has been played on various grounds in the village since 1741 when a match was played on the 'North Field'. The purchase of the club's ground for a burial ground extension in 1854 led to a decline in the club's fortunes, but from 1868 with a relocation to Ockenden, the club began to flourish once again, to the extent that for four seasons Fred Tate was the opening bowler. Listen in to this fascinating story of one of the oldest cricket clubs in Sussex.

Stephen Baldwin is talking in this podcast to John Barclay about his recent book on John Wisden. Perhaps better known for his Almanack and his business venture - establishing a cricket and cigar shop in Coventry Street, London, Wisden was an excellent all-rounder playing for Sussex and various England teams from 1845. .

For our July podcast, Sussex Cricket Museum's curator, Keith Ridge, talks to Malcolm Page from Lindfield Cricket Club about the exhibition on Lindfield Cricket CLub that is currently on display in the Museum. Malcolm has been at the forefront of collating  archive material to enable Sussex Cricket Museum to assist with the publication of a history of the club.

Annie Chave is Editor and Director of 'County Cricket Matters', a magazine that celebrates County Cricket in the UK. Annie has written articles for The Cricketer', spoken on Radio5 and appeared on the' Victoria Derbyshire' show. In this podcsat Annie talks to John Barclay about her latest book, 'Cricket Changed My Life'  in which she tells the stories of eleven different people for whom the game of cricket has been transformative.

Stephen Chalke, author of many books on cricket and triple winner of the Wisden Book of the Year award is talking to John Barclay about his latest book, the product of 25 years of conversations with the subject who he describes as daring, defiant and daft - Brian Close. In 'One Hell of a Life - Daring, Defiant and Daft' Chalke gives us an insight into an unusual man who could never be relied on to take the easy option, and in this interview with John Barclay which took place during the 2025 Sussex Cricket Museum's Book Fair, Chalke talks about the leadership qualities of Close on the field, and the battles he had with authority off it.

For our first podcast of 2025, Keith Ridge, the curator of the Sussex Cricket Museum, has travelled to the north east of Sussex to a place that has become famous for the battle that was a turning point in our nation's history, the Battle of Hastings. Battles between willow and ball though have long featured in this small town and are the subject of this podcast with Kieran Dudgeon and Tim Dudgeon, author of 'Bats, Baronets and Battle'.

Today’s podcast features John Barclay in conversation with David Bowden who in December 2021 was awarded an MBE for Services to Cricket and the Community. There can’t be many of those who have devoted themselves to Sussex Cricket who have done as much as David has. Soon after retiring from a career in Healthcare Management, David became Chairman of Preston Nomads, having previously been the team’s captain and then helped in the creation of the Spen Cama Foundation. In 2006 David was elected as a Board Director of Sussex County Cricket Club and helped to bring about the merger of the Sussex Cricket Board and the Sussex County Cricket Club into Sussex Cricket Ltd. In recent years  David has been President of Sussex Cricket and  Chair of the Cricket Committee at the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy as well as being  President of the Sussex Cricket Society.

Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Sussex Cricket commentator, and recipient of the ECB Domestic Broadcaster of the Year for 2021, talks to Keith Ridge, curator of Sussex Cricket museum about his life as a cricket commentator: how he got the job, working with other county commentators, good and bad moments, including mistaking Ollie Robinson for Bruce Springsteen are all in a day's work for Adrian.

Jack Eaton played for Sussex between 1926 and 1946, primarily as a wicketkeeper. In a recent interview with the Museum curator, Keith Ridge at the County Ground in Hove, Jack's son Richard talks about growing up in Sussex and memories of his father.

In this months' podcast John Barclay chats to two of the most stylish Sussex players from the 1960s and 1970s who between them played a huge part in the defeat of the famous West Indies side of 1966. In that match the West Indies were bowled out by Sussex at Hove for 123 and 67 with John Snow grabbing 11 wickets in total and Peter Graves scoring 64 against the West Indies attack which included Griffith and Sobers. Listen in to a fascinating discussion about the Gillette Cup, Test cricket, Packer and life after cricket.

The Sussex Cricket Museum has recently acquired the Smallwood collection of photos, some of which are on display in the Museum. In this podcast Roger Packam discusses  with Adrian Harms some of the game's greatest players who were captured on camera and feature in the exhibition.

Isabelle is a leading woman cricketer and qualified coach. She was involved in the debate to admit women to MCC in the late 1990s and appeared on the front cover of Wisden cricketer magazine wearing an MCC sweater, at a time when no woman was permitted to join the club. Times have changed and she has since served on the main Committee. She has captained an all male team [ Albury CC] in the Surrey League and in recent years has been involved in ball by ball commentary on the BBC County Cricket coverage.

Michael Tweed, long associated with Firle Cricket Club, one of the ten oldest cricket clubs in the world, talks about the club's origins and in particular of games played in the 18th century between the teams of Sir William Gage of Firle and the Duke of Richmond of Goodwood. The two men were friends and the games between their teams helped to encourage the playing of cricket throughout Kent and Sussex.

With a new display cabinet in the Sussex Cricket Museum on Ted Dexter, Adrian Harmes discusses with cricket historian Roger Packham, the impact of Ted Dexter on not just Sussex cricket, but the way he transformed the way that this new form of cricket was played. The prospect of Dexter attacking fast bowling, and driving and cutting them with fierce strokes was enough to put thousands on any gate. He was a cricket thinker who helped to revolutionise the way the game was played and in so doing led Sussex to their first ever trophies in 1963 and 1964.

Members of Lindfield Cricket Club discuss with Sussex Cricket Museum curator, Keith Ridge, the development of cricket in and around Lindfield, Sussex, from the mid 18th century to more recent times when Sussex Second XI played games in Lindfield.

The March edition of the Sussex Cricket Museum podcast is with Conway Thorns, President of Henfield Cricket Club, who talks to Sussex Cricket Museum curator, Keith Ridge about cricket in Henfield which goes back to 1719, and his family's links with the club which go back seven generations.

Michael Simkins, who has appeared in the West End and on TV and radio, in productions such as 'Chicago' and 'Mama Mia!' but is also author of the best selling book on cricket, 'Fatty Batter' talks to John Barclay here about his obsession with cricket.

In the summer of 2023, Bharat Patel toured England as part of the Hollywood Cricket Team (HCC), playing at some of the most famous venues in cricket. Although Bharat lives near Boston and plays usually for Boston Gymkhana, he was able to tour with the Hollywood club that was founded by ex-Sussex and England star, Sir Aubrey Smith. Here Bharat talks about touring with HCC and playing in the Massachusetts State Cricket League which was founded in 1802.

Andy Dalby-Welsh had just begun a universtiy course at the age of just twenty when he developed a rare eye condition which left him registered blind. He began to play blind cricket for Sussex and later for England, taking part in the Blind World Cup held in India. Here he describes how he began to play blind cricket and how he came to play in a World Cup semi-final against Pakistan.

Regina Suddahazai Khan, who plays for Sussex Women and Italy, talks to Tymal Mills, one of the game's quickest bowlers, with experience of tournaments in India, Australia and Pakistan.

Adrian Harms in conversation with Roger Packham about the early days of the Sussex County Cricket Club featuring the foundation in 1839, the Brunswick Ground and the Lillywhite family.

Don Bradman said that the heart and soul of cricket resides in village cricket. In this podcast the curator of Sussex Cricket Museum, Keith Ridge,  visits Newick Cricket Club, a  village club with long standing traditions that is located in what was the cradle of the game - the Wealden villages of Sussex and Kent.

The change in bowling style from underarm to round, and then overarm bowling, is told by Roger Packham in conversation with Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey Sports Reporter.

In part two of the story of James Dean, Adrian Harms talks to the author of James Dean, Jason Moore, about his recent book. In this episode, Jason and Roger Packham, cricket historian, talk to Adrian Harms, BBC News and Sport reporter, about Dean's involvement with various England teams, his eventual retirement, becoming a landlord of the Cricketers in Duncton, and give an assessment of where Dean stands  amongst Sussex cricketers.

Nadeem Yousef has the distinction of once being a record holder, with Maqsood Kundi, of the highest tenth-wicket stand in Pakistani First-Class cricket in 1981-82 whilst playing for the Muslim Commercial Bank. Following a thirteen year career in Pakistan Nadeem moved to the USA where he played for Santa Barbara CC for nine years. He currently plays for the Hollywood Golden Oldies and Yorkshire County 60+ cricket.

Regina Suddahazai Khan, has played county cricket for Sussex girls’ teams since she was eleven, and recently made her debut for Italy at the first ever women's T10 tournament, held at the Europa Sports Complex in Gibraltar. The tournament, involving national teams from Gibraltar, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, was the first ever televised women’s cricket event in Europe under lights. Regina had an outstanding debut taking ten wickets, which included a hat trick, and four wickets in seven balls. She talks to Sussex Cricket Museum curator, Keith Ridge, about her cricket career and women's cricket in Sussex.

Adrian Harms, BBC Sussex Cricket correspondent, discusses with author Roger Packham, the Sussex Cricket Museum's exhibition on Sir Aubrey Smith, focusing on the newly restored painting of Sir Aubrey.

Huw Turberville, editor of the Cricketer Magazine and author of 'The Toughest Tour: The Ashes Away Series since the War'and 'The Cricketer's Anthology of the Ashes' talks to Sussex Cricket Museum curator, Keith Ridge, about his visits to the County Ground.

John Barclay, captain of Sussex 1979-1986, discusses Sussex's Championship winning season of 2003, with Chris Adams, captain of that winnning side and the two further triumphs in 2006 and 2007.

Jason Moore, author of a new book on the cricketer James Dean, talks to Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Sussex commentator, on James Dean and Sussex cricket in the early c19th. Along the way he mentions the Duncton cricket team, the Broadbridge brothers and the revolution in bowling.

Here Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Sussex commentator, talks about the Sussex Cricket Museum on air, during his commentary of Sussex v Glamorgan. He describes how his visit to the Museum has changed his attitude to museums.

Jon Filby, Chair of Sussex Cricket  Museum and Keith Ridge, curator of Sussex Cricket Museum, in conversation with Les Lenham on his early years with Sussex. Les talks about the importance of hard work and luck, his first innings, and what it was like to face the Surrey attack in the 1950s.

Les Lenham, a member of the winning Sussex team in the first ever Gillette One Day Final in 1963, speaks to Museum Curator Keith Ridge and Chair of the Museum Trustees, Jon Filby, of his memories of that victorious day. He talks of Dexter's tactics, the drizzle and the dressing room celebrations.

Adrian Harmes, BBC Cricket correspondent, talking  with Jon Filby and Norman Epps about the sporting career of C.B. Fry, cricketer, footballer and athlete.

 Jon Filby, Chair of the Museum Trustees, takes BBC Radio Sussex commentator, Adrian Harms, on a tour of Sussex Cricket Museum, in the first of our Summer podcasts.