Investment will continue but we need to play fewer four dayers

HAMPSHIRE cricket enjoyed a very successful summer financially and the company is on course to cut the heavy losses of last year.

That's the upbeat message from chairman Rod Bransgrove, who's also been outlining plans for a major £2 million redevelopment of the County Golf Club centre on the Rose Bowl site.

He's also proposing a streamlined version of the County Championship to allow more lucrative one day games and boost cricket's finances.

"We did very well with our first one day international, the various Twenty20 Cup matches and of course the series of concerts associated with them," he told me.

"But it's very difficult to balance the books and although we're on course to trim the operating loss of our first full year quite substantially, we're unlikely to make a profit in the year ending on October 31st. " The overall loss of holding company Rose Bowl plc last time was a huge £4.4 million, but much of that was down to start up costs and the operating deficit was just £1.1 million.

The concerts, both pop and classical, attracted huge audiences and there were few problems with access for motorists to and from the site.

"The police were very happy with the traffic arrangements and many people had the good sense to arrive early to avoid problems," he said.

"We also proved that we can stage concerts without disturbing people living in the immediate area around the Rose Bowl."

There are plans to repeat the concerts once next summer's fixtures are known.

In the meantime, local pop icon Craig David will be appearing indoors in the Atrium before 500 of his fans on Monday (Oct 6th) and other events are being planned too.

Golf Centre being upgraded

Bransgrove admits that it's 'difficult balancing the books,' but the financial investment is to continue with work on a 60-berth, two-tier driving range starting later this month.

"We realise that our golf members have been rather forgotten this year and we need to provide more for them," says the chairman.

The range will be located alongside a new clubhouse and practice area on the land on the north side of the site. The nine-hole course will be reconfigured when the project is completed in around a year's time.

The chairman also hopes, longer term, to see a multi-purpose Sports Hall installed.

But it all costs money and he's well aware that getting sponsors to invest in cricket remains dependent on the performance of the England team and of the individual counties.

"We'd love to have a ground name sponsor here, but we realise we need to be more successful for that to happen," he admits.

Blueprint for game's future

But Bransgrove is a firm advocate of playing less four-day cricket. His forthright views have already been made known to his colleagues on the committees of the ECB.

"There's far too much of it played in front of tiny crowds and it's difficult to keep the players enthusiastic," he says.

"Cutting down the number of first class counties isn't the answer. I'd like to see a County Championship with two divisions of seven counties each and a feeder league for the others, to include the leading Minor Counties, perhaps.

"It would enable more of the highly popular Twenty20 matches to take place and increase revenue for all those taking part.

"As it is, we have only two home games in it next year, although some quarter final matches are to be introduced. That's all the more reason for us to have a better season on the pitch."

The chairman is determined that will happen.

He puts it like this: "We haven't lived up to our pledge this year of having a more successful side. We all owe it to ourselves and the supporters to make sure we deliver next summer."