No county cricket again in 2012

The 2012 fixtures were released on Tuesday and for the fourth year in a row, Hastings was not on the list. Sussex will again play the bulk of their home matches at Hove with Horsham and Arundel also getting a slice of the action.

Sussex last came to Horntye Park in May 2008, but the 50-overs-per-side Friends Provident Trophy tie against Essex was abandoned without a ball being bowled following overnight rain.

There was hope that Hastings would be on the calendar in 2011 after Sussex chairman Jim May said the county planned to hold a Friends Provident t20 game at Horntye Park if the structure of the competition remained unchanged.

Even though the format of the tournament did stay the same, Hastings was left off the schedule with Sussex chief executive Dave Brooks saying “from a commercial point of view, there just wasn’t a suitable slot”.

At the time, Brooks added: “We remain committed to Hastings. We will stage a second team game there next season to test out the ground and facilities again, and all being well we can go back in 2012.”

The seconds did play at Horntye Park during May, but the only Sussex first team action to take place at the Bohemia Road ground remains a Benson & Hedges Cup game against Kent in 2001 and a tour match versus Zimbabwe in 2000.