Former captain Ben Brown leaves Sussex

Brown made 318 appearances for the county across all formats, scoring 10,843 runs. He was named as club captain in 2017 but was disappointed to lose the role midway through last season

Former Sussex captain Ben Brown is to be released from his contract with the county at his request, despite having two seasons still remaining on his contract.

The 33-year-old wicketkeeper averaged 51.36 with the bat in 2021, scoring 976 runs in 12 games. No one in the country scored more than his four first-class centuries.

However, he was replaced as captain in July – a decision that The Cricketer understands came as a shock to Brown who, born in Crawley, has spent his entire professional career at his home county up to this point, four of which as club captain. It was to his immense credit that he averaged 64.4 in 11 innings after being replaced at the helm by Tom Haines.

In a statement, he said: "As this chapter of my career draws to a close, I would like to say an enormous thank you to Sussex for the opportunities I have been afforded over a 22-year association with club. Since I was first selected as an 11-year-old I have made life-long friends, travelled the world, and made memories for life playing cricket for Sussex.

"I would like to wish the current squad and support staff all the best in the coming years, and I look forward to seeing the young squad flourish over seasons to come at Hove. For me personally it is time to return to being a Sussex supporter as I look forward to a new chapter of my cricket career."

Brown is unlikely to be short on potential suitors among those in search of an accomplished domestic batter, let alone a wicketkeeping option. He averages 40.41 in first-class cricket, with 22 red-ball hundreds.

^{Ben Brown scored more than 10,000 runs for Sussex (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

He is the latest in a long line of senior players to leave Hove in recent times. As well as Danny Briggs, who won the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy in his first season after departing Sussex for Warwickshire, Luke Wells – like Brown, a homegrown county stalwart – moved on after a similarly disappointing end at his lifelong club to join Lancashire.

Laurie Evans has returned to Surrey, and wicketkeeper Michael Burgess left for Edgbaston in 2019 due to the lack of opportunities that came with being stuck behind Brown in the pecking order. Harry Finch was released at the end of the 2020 campaign and returned to haunt Sussex, making a century against them on debut for Kent – for whom he had signed on an emergency basis after much of their squad was forced into isolation – while wearing a taped-up Sussex helmet.

Chris Jordan has since followed Evans in re-joining Surrey, his first professional club, while Phil Salt – who made his international debut for England during the summer – has been reunited with Wells in joining Lancashire.

Brown's main competition in 2021 came from Oli Carter, who impressed in the Royal London Cup and struck a counterattacking fifty against Gloucestershire at Hove. The Cricketer understands, though, that Sussex have an external replacement lined up to take the gloves.

Overseas batter Travis Head has been re-signed despite struggling for form in the summer, and he has been announced as Sussex's captain in first-class cricket. Former Middlesex seamer Steven Finn has arrived as a replacement for the retiring Stuart Meaker and Mitch Claydon, with Fynn Hudson-Prentice joining from Derbyshire, returning to his first county as Sussex place their faith in a new generation of young talent, many of whom made their first-team debuts in 2021.

On Brown's departure, Sussex chief executive Rob Andrew added: "Ben had two seasons remaining on his contract and, as you'd expect with a player of his quality, was very much a part of our plans for the future.

^{Several senior players have exited Sussex in recent years (including Phil Salt, left), with the county instead placing its faith in a generation of youngsters (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)}

"We've tried hard to find a way forward that keeps him at the club and until very recently thought that would be something we could achieve. However, it's now clear that Ben is set on a change, and it would be in nobody's interests to keep him at Sussex against his will.

“Despite hoping it wouldn't be necessary, once Ben first mentioned that he was feeling unsettled it was only prudent that we began exploring potential replacements for next summer. We will have some news on that front very shortly.

"Ben has been part of Sussex for over two decades and has a record he can be extremely proud of. He has always given everything with the bat, the gloves or with his captaincy.

"Of course, we're disappointed that his playing days here are ending, but that doesn't detract from his achievements or from our gratitude for his service to the club. We wish him the very best of luck in whatever he does next and look forward to welcoming him back to Hove in the future."

Brown made 318 appearances for the county across all formats, scoring 10,843 runs.