Sussex will start the 2026 County Championship season with a 12-point deduction after reaching an agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board to resolve its financial problems.

The county announced on Monday that they had signed a three-year framework with the sport’s national governing body.

Sussex will start their County Championship campaign with a huge deduction and will also take one point off each of the two limited-overs matches after agreeing an arrangement with the ECB that includes safeguards, controls and tighter supervision, which will run until 2029.

Sussex finished fourth in League One – the higher of the two-tier competition – last summer but suffered sustained operating losses in the last financial year and have made changes while taking action to protect their future.

Interim chief executive Mark West said: “We fully understand how disappointing this news will be for everyone associated with Sussex.

“Since taking on the interim role at the end of last season, it has been clear that a combination of internal decisions and wider financial pressures have contributed to the club’s position today.

“The points deduction is an unexpected blow to the players and fans, but we accept the ECB’s decision.

“We are sorry – it was not good enough. Our responsibility now is to put things right and ensure the club is in a stronger position for the future.”

The club will be subject to a salary cap and must provide the ECB with a three-year business plan “demonstrating sustainable year-on-year operating profits by 2027-28”, which includes a series of requirements that must be met to avoid a suspended £100,000 fine.

Each team in the 2026 County Championship has a 14-game schedule, with each team earning 16 points for winning each game, with an additional 8-point bonus for each game.

Sussex’s one-point deduction came from the Vitality Blast and Metbank One-Day Cup.