Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley to leave after seven years

Sussex stalwart to step down

Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley is to leave his job at the end of October after seven years in the role. Incoming head coach Matt Walker will lead the search for a replacement as part of what the club called a "restructure of the coaching staff".

Kirtley, 51, spent 16 years as a player at Hove, winning three County Championship and three white-ball titles with the club, before taking up a full-time role as bowling coach in November 2019. He played four Tests for England, taking 6-34 on his debut against South Africa in 2003.

"I leave Sussex with a heavy heart, but also with my head held high," Kirtley told the club's website. "I take real comfort in knowing the team is in a stronger place and that, alongside many others, I played a part in helping to make that happen."

"To see Sussex at the top of the Championship, to be part of [T20] Finals Day and to help develop one of the best bowling units in the country has been a source of enormous pride."

Bowling unit developed under Kirtley

The bowlers Kirtley has worked with include England players Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson, and Lions bowler Henry Crocombe, who took hat-tricks in back-to-back Championship games this season.

Kirtley's 18-year-old son, Ollie, made three One-Day Cup appearances for the club this summer.

Broader departures at Hove

The exit is the latest from the Sussex backroom staff, after head coach Paul Farbrace's pending move to Lancashire as director of cricket and batting coach Grant Flower's imminent switch to Surrey.

A number of players, including Crocombe, John Simpson, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Daniel Hughes and Tom Alsop are also leaving as Sussex operate under a salary cap until 2028, imposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board after "sustained operating losses".