THE Rose Bowl is set to host its first Test match in 2010.

Hampshire will apply for a Test between England and either the West Indies or Bangladesh, the tourists in four years' time, following the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to award the Rose Bowl Category A' status.

A four-man ECB inspection team reviewed the Rose Bowl last month and the ECB's Major Match Group then recommended that the home of Hampshire Cricket be promoted from Category B', a status that has permitted seven one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals to be staged at West End since 2003.

The Test accreditation is on the condition that the £35m development plans unveiled last month are still on course to be completed in 2009, and that last year's improvement in the square is maintained.

Chairman Rod Bransgrove said: "The single most significant factor in the decision was the dramatic improvement in pitch quality last summer, which had a great bearing on people's current regard for the Rose Bowl.

"It's fantastic news, we've been striving for this for quite some time so it's a momentous day and has given everyone at the club a lift.

"The inspection process is very vigorous and detailed so we're also very pleased we don't have to go through it again!

"It would have been very difficult to take if we hadn't have got it we now have to continue the hard work and deliver a spectacular sports and entertainment resort with Test match cricket at its heart."

Bransgrove was told the news in a telephone call from David Morgan and David Collier, the chairman and chief executive of the ECB, on Thursday afternoon.

"It all happened rather quickly and we're all pretty excited at being able to tender for Test matches from 2010.

"It's another obstacle removed towards the grand masterplan and a great day for everyone associated with this stadium and I'd like to thank all the staff for their dedication and commitment to achieving this fantastic goal."

The Rose Bowl is unlikely to be in the frame to host the venue-less England v Zimbabwe Test in the Ashes summer of 2009, but Bransgrove believes the award of Test match accreditation is a huge boost to attracting the investment needed to fund the £35m required to complete the most unique stadium in English cricket.

"It brings in significant revenues and this is the time we'll be going in earnest to speak to investors and ground title sponsorship," he confirmed.

Rose Bowl plc suffered a loss of £900,000 during the last financial year but managing director Glenn Delve is confident of a profit next year.

One factor behind the improved financial performance has been the increase in membership, which now stands at 6,000, with ambitions to increase that to 10,000 in the next three years.

"The ambition has always been to create a self-sustaining business which will ensure the long-term future of Hampshire Cricket," added Bransgrove, who expects work to begin on the £35m development at the end of next season.

Planning applications will be submitted next year with feedback from local residents increasingly positive and commercial director Stuart Robertson confident that the Rose Bowl will be in a position to challenge the likes of Lord's and the Oval as a ground hosting Test matches on an annual basis.

He said: "You don't build the best ground in the country to host a Test match every one, two or three years so other grounds will have to be at the top of their game to host regular Tests when the time comes for the renewal of their staging agreements."

Keith House, the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, said: "I was very pleased to attend the accreditation panel hearing and am delighted that the Rose Bowl will be hosting Test matches.

"There's still a lot of work to do but we are committed to working very closely with Hampshire to help make their dream a reality."