Rod Bransgrove believes The Rose Bowl should host the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup final - and a Test match within the next five years.

The Hampshire chairman has decided that hosting an Ashes Test in 2009 will be a summer too soon for The Rose Bowl.

But he believes that the new floodlights at West End will put The Rose Bowl in pole position to host the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in three years' time.

Also in The Rose Bowl's favour is the ground's Twenty20 CV.

The Rose Bowl has already hosted the first ever Twenty20 match, between Hampshire and Sussex in 2003, as well as the first Twenty20 international in this country, between England and Australia last year.

Bransgrove said: "We're trying to persuade the ECB that they should be staging more international fixtures in this country, including the Twenty20 World Cup final in 2009.

"There will be a process to go through and there'll be a lot of competition from the established grounds.

"But with our lights, which are unique in this country, and track record in hosting Twenty20 cricket we're in a very strong position.

"I'm laying down a marker for Twenty20.

"We're hungry to host the final, because I don't want us to be excluded from any discussions they're having at Lord's.

"I know that the usual suspects will be pitching very strongly in the corridors of powers but I do believe that nobody will have the claim that we have to host what will be a spectacular event."

The inaugural Twenty20 World Cup was only decided on three weeks ago and there are several channels to go through before the ECB decide who will host the final.

But also in Bransgrove's sights is a Test match at the Rose Bowl within the next five years.

The ECB will reveal whether The Rose Bowl has been granted Test match accreditation as soon as next month, following a recent inspection.

A four-man delegation from the ECB - including Mike Denness, from the Pitches Advisory Group, David Shepherd, the former umpire, and Match Operations manager Chris Kelly - scrutinised the Rose Bowl recently.

A decision is expected in mid-May.

Bransgrove, who was targeting an Ashes Test in 2009, continued: "We were very tempted to apply for a Test match in 2009 because there is one available for bidding, but our pitch development plan extends to five years.

"We know we'll be capable of produce five-day wickets within the next five years but we're not quite confident enough that will be in three years time.

"What we don't want to do is win a fixture and then get it wrong, so we'll be looking for the ECB to get us a Test in 2010 or 2011 and will be continuing to stage one day internationals in the meantime.

"We had an inspection visit on Tuesday of last week by the ECB's inspection committee whose job it is to report to the Major Matches Group, who then ultimately report to the board of directors.

"We've been measured against a number of key criteria and I think we've already demonstrated that if we don't already comply with them, which we do in the most part, we have the plans to put them right."

If The Rose Bowl is not granted Test match accreditation, Bransgrove admits he will be devastated.

"There's a lot hanging on that decision because we can only continue to develop this ground significantly if we are accredited with a Test match and a realistic prospect of staging Tests in the future.

"If we don't get accreditation, I would be desolate, quite frankly, I'd be shocked and very disappointed - but I'm optimistic because they were very impressed."

Rose Bowl plc suffered a loss of more than £700,000 for the last financial year and Bransgrove told the Daily Echo earlier this year of his disappointment at the lack of support he felt he had had from the ECB.

He added: "The relationship with the ECB has been strained at times, I haven't had as much help as I'd like and have had down days.

"I've not always found it easy to get my view on life across in a constructive manner.

"But I cannot help thinking that people can come to this ground and not be knocked out by it.

"Sooner or later they must recognise what a gift we've given to English cricket without taking anything back for it.

"If we can't get a commitment from English cricket we'll have to look at other things to do with the Rose Bowl, because it's a truly magnificent facility."