Chris Nash would love Horsham to still have its place on Sussex’s first team fixture list.

But his home club will enjoy the next best thing today as the NatWest T20 Blast build-up begins in earnest.

Sussex face a select XI from league cricket in the South East as part of Nash’s testimonial year.

It is not expected to just be a friendly knockabout. Sussex are using the game as their warm-up for the NatWest T20 Blast which starts when Glamorgan visit Arundel on Sunday July 9.

Horsham has lost its county date but corporate hospitality for Nash’s day is nearing the sort of level which might have kept Cricket Field Road on the calendar.

It is hard to say how many spectators will turn up given admission is free.

But the weather forecast is good and Nash, who came through the youth set-up at Horsham, expects the old place to be a hive of activity.

He told The Argus: “We’ve got 240 corporate guests coming, we are expecting maybe 500, maybe even 1,000 spectators and there will be a lot of kids there.

“The ground is looking fantastic. It’s a big thing to go to Horsham and take Sussex back. I know they are desperate for Sussex to go there.”

A friendly knockabout is not anticipated.

Nash said: “It will be a proper competitive game. We have pulled together some of the best players in the Sussex Premier League, including most of the overseas players.

“We normally have a T20 warm-up at Hove at this time of year. That’s what we are using this one for – and as a chance to get cricket back up to Horsham.”

With a break in their Championship schedule, Sussex have used this as T20 week and have been practising their shortest-format skills this week.

They still have a pair of four-dayers to go before T20 kicks in for the height of summer. Gloucestershire visit Hove next week and then Leicestershire are at Arundel.

Nash was interim captain for the two most recent matches, which ended in wins over Worcestershire and Leicestershire.

There is no word yet whether he will continue next week.

Admission at Horsham today is free with a £5 charge for car parking.