Barrett-Wild appointed Sussex chief executive

Her appointment comes after one of the more turbulent periods in Sussex's recent history. The club was put into special measures by the ECB at the start of the year after running into financial difficulties; spending restrictions subsequently saw a number of players agree moves elsewhere, including club captain, John Simpson, and England prospect Henry Crocombe.

Paul Farbrace also stepped down as head coach, initially agreeing to take on a part-time role as director of cricket before departing last month for Lancashire.

Despite the upheaval, and starting the season with a 12-point deduction, Sussex enjoyed a successful County Championship campaign to finish third in the Division One table.

"Ever since I first picked up a bat as a little girl at my local village club, I have loved the sense of family, community and belonging that being part of a cricket club creates. That sense of belonging is a big part of who I am and what I believe in, so to now have the opportunity to lead and help shape the future of the oldest professional cricket club in the world is something eight-year-old Beth could only have dreamt of.

"While Sussex has faced a challenging period off the field in recent times, a huge amount of work has gone into putting the club on a more stable footing over the last 10 months. I am really looking forward to working closely with Ed Warner and the board, the executive team, players, members and fans to build on that work and take Sussex forward with energy and ambition."

Barrett-Wild, who played county cricket for Essex, started her career with MCC before joining the ECB in 2013 as media manager for England Women. She went on to serve as head of the Women's Hundred and director of the women's professional game, helping to oversee the new three-tier county structure introduced by the ECB in 2025.

Barrett-Wild will take over from acting CEO, Alex Paterson, when she starts in her role at Hove on January 1.

Ed Warner, Sussex chair, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to see a person of Beth's calibre and experience join as the CEO of Sussex Cricket. Her achievements in the game have propelled women's cricket to an entirely new level, and I'm excited at the prospect of working closely with Beth to ensure a bright future at Sussex Cricket.

"The standard of applicants we had for this role was very high, paving the way for an extremely competitive process, but Beth's talent and vibrancy shone through to highlight her as the exceptional candidate, and the best person to lead Sussex Cricket into an exciting new chapter of this club's long, storied history."