THEY said there would be no problem as the biggest crowd Hamp-shire's cricket Ground had ever seen packed into the Rose Bowl at West End for the England v Sri Lanka match.

But, as more than 16,000 people headed for the international today, there was traffic chaos.

This morning Hedge End police admitted: "It is horrendous."

The M27 motorway was said to be "static" at Junction 7 at Hedge End, where cricket fans were trying to turn off and get to the ground, and at Junction 8 Bursledon as motorists headed for the park-and-ride facilities at the top of Hamble Lane.

All roads into West End were also said to be at a standstill.

A police spokesman said: "Park-and-ride are doing what they can but they can only go at a certain speed."

Prior to today's high-profile game, match organisers and police were expecting things to go smoothly after rehearsing for the big match at a fixture last weekend. But today Eastleigh Councillor Steve Broomfield said: "Something has got to be done. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that, with thousands of people using one entrance after coming off the motorway, there is going to be traffic chaos. I would have been surprised if anything else had happened.

"It can't carry on at the expense of local people who are being penalised for living around the Rose Bowl."

No one from Hampshire Cricket was available for comment.