Live Update: Sussex complete signing of Keith Dudgeon on two-year deal from Kent The 30-year-old South African seamer joins Hove after taking 42 County Championship wickets for Kent in 2026 at an average of 32.09.
Sussex complete signing of Keith Dudgeon on two-year deal from Kent (Photo by Mike Hewitt/) Sussex have completed the signing of right-arm seamer Keith Dudgeon from Kent on a two-year contract, the county confirmed on October 2, 2026. The 30-year-old South African joins the club at Hove ahead of the 2027 campaign. Dudgeon spent two seasons in Kent, where he played in 13 County Championship matches in 2026, taking 42 wickets at an average of 32.09, with best figures of 6/21.
He was Kent’s second-leading wicket-taker behind Matt Milnes as the county won promotion from Division Two. In his debut season at Kent, Dudgeon claimed figures of 7/36 at Northamptonshire in the opening match before a knee injury in training cut short his campaign. During his first-class career, which included much cricket in his native South Africa, Dudgeon took 281 wickets at an average of 26.96.
His arrival at Hove is the second addition to the Sussex squad ahead of 2027, following the signing of Joey Evison, also from Kent. What does Dudgeon’s signing mean for Sussex in the Premier League? Sussex are preparing to compete in the County Championship Premier Division in 2027 and have identified Dudgeon as a bowler who can contribute at that level.
Director of cricket Paul Farbrace confirmed the signing and outlined the role Dudgeon will play in Hove in both the four-day format and the Vitality Blast. “He is exactly the quality of player and person we have been looking for to help us continue to grow and compete in the County Championship Premier Division and aim for the knockout stages of the Blast. “Keith’s high level of skill, experience and will to win is exactly what this team needs right now,” Farbrace said, according to BBC Sport.
What did Dudgeon say about leaving Kent and joining Sussex? Dudgeon acknowledged the role of the Sussex and Kent staff in facilitating the transfer, naming Paul Farbrace and Matt Walker among those he thanked. He also paid tribute to Kent, where he spent two seasons before expressing his excitement about moving to Hove.
“I am delighted to announce that I will be joining Sussex for the next two seasons. Long-term county cricket has been the goal for some time and I am grateful for the support that Sussex has given me. From what I’ve been told, there’s a great group of guys in the locker room and I’m looking forward to joining them, bringing good energy and contributing to the team in any way I can.
I would like to thank Paul Farbrace and Matt Walker and the owners for making this pen possible. A big thank you to everyone at Kent for the last two seasons. I am incredibly grateful for the memories, people and experiences I have had on my journey.
Kent will always hold a special place for me. It is a great club with great people and I am convinced that it will continue to grow from strength to strength. Now it’s time for a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to seeing what lies ahead in Sussex,” Dudgeon said in an official club statement.
