Aggressive batting will be order of day
Dan Hughes will bring aggression to the top of the Sussex batting order after agreeing a deal to play for the county in 2024.
That’s the hope of head coach Paul Farbrace after Hughes and Indian run machine Cheteshwar Pujara both sealed contracts for different parts of the season.
Pujara will be available for the first seven County Championship games – then Hughes will be in contention from the start of the T20 Vitality Blast until the end of the season.
The Aussie will play in the County Championship as well as the Blast.
The two batsmen will complement the two overseas bowlers, Jayden Seales and Nathan McAndrew who have also signed for the club for the 2024 campaign.
It’s good news for Sussex and their fans who were rocked recently by Ali Orr’s switch to Hampshrie.
Hughes is an aggressive top-order batsman who forced his way into the current New South Wales Blues side on sheer weight of runs.
In first-class cricket, he averages 36.90 with a best knock of 178. In his 137 innings, Hughes has notched 26 half-centuries and eight half-centuries.
Hughes has claimed two Steve Waugh Medals and the Blues and Sydney Sixers opener is also a past NSW Blues Marsh One-Day Cup Player of the Season.
In T20 cricket Hughes has accumulated 2144 runs in 92 innings at a strike rate of 120.92 and was part of the Sydney Sixers team that won back-to-back Big Bash League titles in 2020 and 2021.
Hughes said: “Playing county cricket has been a long-held ambition for me. I am delighted to get that opportunity at Sussex.
“I respect the strong traditions of the club. The plans for the team are exciting and I look forward to getting to Hove and helping Sussex with success.”
Farbrace said: “We are all very pleased to welcome Dan to Hove, he is a top-class player and has vast amounts of experience. We are all very much looking forward to working him and enjoying how he helps our team on and off the field.”
Pujara has accumulated an astonishing 1863 runs at average of 64.24 for Sussex, including eight centuries and three half-centuries.
He said: "I couldn’t be more delighted to be back again with the Sussex family.”