Sussex Cricket Museum

Discover the story of Sussex Cricket through a series of podcasts with former players and those who witnessed great games of the past as well as find out what Sussex Cricket Museum has currently on display.

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21 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes21

Newest first

Wednesday · 18 min
Keith Ridge talks to Jane Beard about aspects of the history of Brightling
In this third podcast about Brightling and its cricket club, Jane Beard, local historian, introduces Keith Ridge to Brightling church, and 'Mad' Jack Fuller M.P. The church is mentioned in Domesday and largely unaltered. Dominating the churchyard is a stone pyramid built by Mad' Jack for himself. Mad Jack was an amiable and eccentric character who was once sent to the Tower for abusing the Speaker. He lived in Brightling Park where the cricket club is now based and is thought to have encouraged the playing of cricket.
July 8 · 37 min
Brightling Park Cricket Club part 2
In this second conversation about Brightling Park Cricket Club, Keith Ridge, Sussex Cricket Museum curator talks to two of the club's players, including the club captain, about what it is like to play for the club.
July 8 · 11 min
Brightling Park Cricket Club part 1
This is the first of two conversations about Brightling Cricket Club, in which Sussex Cricket Museum curator Keith Ridge talks to Brightling local historian Jane Beard about the issues facing local village clubs. The Brightling Park Cricket Club is located in a beautiful quiet setting in the High Weald of East Sussex but has a timber pavilion with no glass in the windows and no showers or toilets. How do they cope?
July 5 · 18 min
George Cox
George Cox was a veteran trundler. 100 years ago this month (June 2026), Cox took 17 Warwickshire wickets for 106 runs in a first-class match. at Horsham at the age of 53. His figures remain the best bowling figures for the county. In this podcast Peter McQuade, author of a recent book on Cox, talks to Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Surrey and Sussex commentator about Cox's cricketing career which lasted from 1895 to 1928.
May 4 · 9 min
The story of a cricket ball!
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.
February 4 · 1 hr 4 min
Frances Low ( nee Manning) in conversation with Johnny Barclay
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.
Nov 5, 2025 · 24 min
Cricket in Sheffield Park, Sussex
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.
Oct 26, 2025 · 38 min
Sport and Scandal at Sheffield Park
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.
Sep 27, 2025 · 21 min
The Wisden Exhibits in the Museum
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.
Sep 24, 2025 · 45 min
Cricket in Cuckfield
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.
Jul 28, 2025 · 37 min
John Wisden - A Steadfast Friend
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. .
Jul 11, 2025 · 42 min
Lindfield Cricket Club
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.
Jun 1, 2025 · 45 min
Annie Chave with John Barclay
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.
May 21, 2025 · 44 min
Stephen Chalke with John Barclay
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.
Mar 3, 2025 · 53 min
Battle Cricket Club
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'.
Dec 24, 2024 · 59 min
David Bowden in conversation with John Barclay
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.
Nov 5, 2024 · 29 min
Adrian Harms and his life as a Cricket Commentator
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.
Sep 27, 2024 · 13 min
Jack Eaton
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.
Sep 20, 2024 · 57 min
John Barclay in conversation with Peter Graves and John Snow
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.
Jul 29, 2024 · 29 min
The Smallwood Collection
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.