Davis confident of Sussex promotion

Sussex cricket coach Mark Davis has expressed his faith in the team to bounce back from the disappointment of being relegated last season.

The South-coast County were relegated from Division One of the County Championship for the second time in six seasons and the club has since undergone a number of key changes over the winter.

Davis said: “Relegation was obviously disappointing, but it’s certainly not the end of the world. I think we have to keep things in perspective and as the coach, I am going to make sure that we do that.”

Mark Robinson, who was the first team coach at Hove for ten years, has moved on to the role of head coach for the England Women’s team. After spending five years at Hove as a player and three years as Robinson’s deputy, Davis is now chaired with the responsibility of turning Sussex’s fortunes around.

More recently, the club was hit by the sudden and tragic death of fast bowler, Matthew Hobden, who died at the age of just 22 in the New Year. The talented cricketer, born in Eastbourne, was believed to have fallen to his death after he and a group of friends scaled a roof as part of New Year’s celebrations.

Davis expressed his sadness ahead of Hobden’s memorial service, admitting that his presence, on and off the field, will be a significant loss at Hove.

Mark Davis has taken over at Hove from Mark Robinson after ten years at Sussex.

The coach said: “It is a huge loss for us and it is a very emotional time for the club. It is very sad, to lose a player and to lose a person, more importantly, of Matt’s quality.

“But that is why I think it is very important that we keep perspective. We will keep Matt in the forefront of our minds throughout the year and we will certainly play for him and we will honour him in as many ways as we possibly can.”

Davis, who was part of Sussex’s first County Championship success in 2003, is delighted to have the opportunity to coach Sussex and is confident that they have the players to achieve promotion this summer.

“I am obviously incredibly honoured to be in the role and I am very excited about the season ahead. We have been relegated, but I am very confident that we have got the players and the squad to bounce back,” he added.

Sussex have won ten trophies over the last 15 years, achieving three County Championship titles in five years. A proud club, the Hove faithful will have been left stunned by their form last season, but the new Sussex coach does not believe that there is any added pressure, despite the club’s successful history.

Davis said: “I think it is great to be involved with a club with such a great history. I am very confident in my own ability and I am confident in the squad that I have. But I don’t think that it adds any pressure to my role.”

With a change in the structure of the County Championship in 2016, only one team will be promoted from the second division, which means Sussex will have to win Division Two in order to make an immediate return to the top flight. Mark Davis's side will start their bid for promotion against Essex at Hove on April 17.