May's Bounty : Hampshire return ? [Neil Smith picture]
Hampshire are considering a return to staging county matches at Basingstoke and also playing at Newclose on the Isle of Wight in 2019, according to a report in the November edition of The Cricketer magazine.
ICC World Cup matches taking place at the Ageas Bowl next summer means Hampshire having to seek alternative venues for some of their County Championship games.
Reverting to playing on out-grounds will delight traditional cricket lovers, particularly those in North Hampshire, who have not been able to watch county matches at May’s Bounty since 2010.
A Championship match, starting on Monday May 20, has been provisionally earmarked for Newclose following positive transportation discussions with the Red Funnel ferry group. The attractive ground on the southern outskirts of Newport was completed in 2009 and used each summer since by Hampshire 2nd XI and the MCC YCs.
ICC World Cup matches taking place at the Ageas Bowl next summer means Hampshire having to seek alternative venues for some of their County Championship games.
Reverting to playing on out-grounds will delight traditional cricket lovers, particularly those in North Hampshire, who have not been able to watch county matches at May’s Bounty since 2010.
A Championship match, starting on Monday May 20, has been provisionally earmarked for Newclose following positive transportation discussions with the Red Funnel ferry group. The attractive ground on the southern outskirts of Newport was completed in 2009 and used each summer since by Hampshire 2nd XI and the MCC YCs.
The Isle of Wight's Newclose county ground earmarked for Hampshire match in May 2019.
