Four years ago, James Kirtley felt Sussex lacked the respect they once had, but now his childhood club has fought its way back to the top tier of English cricket. Sussex secured their promotion to Division One of the County Championship for the first time since 2015 with a commanding innings victory over Gloucestershire.
This win created an insurmountable lead over third-placed Middlesex, and Sussex headed into their final match of the season 20 points ahead of Yorkshire, with the Championship title firmly within reach.
Kirtley, a former England seamer and now Sussex's bowling coach, reflected on the club's challenging journey outside the top division. He explained that difficult decisions had to be made, and noted that at one point, many of Sussex’s players weren’t respected by other counties. Even their supporters had started to lose faith, but the team has worked hard to regain that respect.
The arrival of head coach Paul Farbrace in late 2022 brought a dramatic turnaround in Sussex’s fortunes. In just two seasons, Farbrace has taken the team from the bottom of Division Two to promotion.
Kirtley’s own time with Sussex has been anything but smooth. He joined the club permanently in 2019 as a pace-bowling coach, following a two-year consultancy role. A year later, he was promoted to joint head coach alongside Ian Salisbury, replacing former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie. However, after only two wins in 28 matches and complications surrounding off-spinner Jack Carson, Salisbury departed, leaving Kirtley to temporarily lead the T20 side. He managed the team for three months before Farbrace took over as head coach.
Kirtley described the emotional rollercoaster he experienced, explaining how he lived through every ball with the players, sharing their struggles and triumphs. His time with Sussex has largely been about guiding a young group of cricketers through a challenging period and helping them realise their potential.
One of those young talents is Henry Crocombe, a medium-fast bowler from Eastbourne. Crocombe joined Sussex in 2020 and endured the difficult 2021 and 2022 seasons at just 19 and 20 years old. However, two years later, he has made remarkable progress. His standout performance in the victory over Gloucestershire, where he took 4-22 in the second innings, caught Kirtley’s attention, who described the display as "massively impressive."
Kirtley highlighted that Crocombe had to be patient and work hard for his opportunity. In 2024, he’s had the chance to truly understand and develop his game, rather than being thrust into the role of leading the attack at a young age. Kirtley believes that with the right environment, support, and people in place, players like Crocombe will continue to flourish.