As he leaves Sussex, Mark West will be a hard act to follow

Earlier this week Mark West stood down as interim CEO of Sussex Cricket. And because of him the club will not start the next cricket season in six months’ time with fines and points penalties pulling them back like a ball and chain.

When the club’s financial year ends, on October 31, they will report a financial loss that, crucially, will be below the £1m mark that would automatically trigger a repeat of the punishments from the England and Wales Cricket Board that made life so difficult for everyone this season. Next year, Sussex plan to break even - and even dare to hope for a small profit.