Bug infestation leaves Sussex considering venue switch for County Championship opener

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Daddy long-legs larvae have damaged the outfield at Hove

Sussex are considering switching the venue for their first County Championship fixture of the season against Lancashire from Hove to Old Trafford due to a bug infestation.

The teams are due to meet twice within the first four rounds of the season, with Sussex’s home game scheduled from April 8-11 at Hove and the return fixture at Old Trafford from April 29-May 2. But the clubs have been discussing the possibility of reversing the venues while the Hove groundstaff deal with a plague of larvae that has damaged the outfield.

It is understood that the bugs in question are leatherjackets, the larvae of European crane flies (more commonly known as daddy long-legs). They lay their eggs in soil, which then hatch out and feed on the roots of plants – in this case, the grass on the outfield. The square, however, has not been damaged.