Sussex bring in Jayden Seales to solve wicket-taking struggles

The West Indies fast bowler is set to be available for the first three months of the season

Sussex have signed Jayden Seales as an overseas player for the first three months of next season as the county look to strengthen a bowling attack that struggled to take wickets last summer.

The 21-year-old made his Test debut for West Indies when he was 19 and has impressed ever since at international level. He has so far claimed 36 Test wickets at 21.77 apiece, becoming the youngest West Indies bowler to take a five-wicket haul in Tests when he did so against Pakistan.

He is set to be available for Sussex in both the County Championship and the T20 Blast, with his signing much needed after a desperate struggle for wickets in 2022.

In the final game of the campaign, Sean Hunt usurped Ollie Robinson as the club's leading wicket-taker in first-class matches, but even then that only amounted to 18 in eight games. Robinson, the England seamer, picked up 17 in three appearances, though in one of those he bowled just a single over.

For further context, every other county had a bowler who took at least 30 wickets in the County Championship.

^{Seales has taken 36 wickets in a fast start to his Test career (Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images)}

"Securing a quality overseas fast/seam bowler was hugely important us for the start of next summer, particularly in Championship cricket, so to secure Jayden ahead of others is fantastic for us," said Sussex performance director Keith Greenfield.

"Those who have played against him and seen him at close quarters have been impressed by his skills and appetite for bowling.

"He has certainly started impressively in Test cricket, and it is also great that he wants to play County cricket and knows how important it can be for him going forward."

Sussex have also recently completed the permanent signing of Ari Karvelas, the South Africa-born Greece international, who impressed with the ball during the second half of the season. He is not classed as an overseas player and is set to become England-qualified in 2024.

It has been a busy start to the off-season at Hove, with Ian Salisbury departing and Sussex announcing a return to a single-coach structure. That post is currently unfilled, while Michael Yardy – the academy director – has also left the club to take up a role as England Under-19s head coach.

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