HAMPSHIRE Cricket will not use their £500,000 floodlights for their last two Twenty20 Cup group games because of an agreement with Eastleigh Borough Council.

The floodlights were a success when they were used for the first time for the Twenty20 international between England and Sri Lanka last month, but will only be used on three more occasions this season and not at all during the Twenty20 Cup.

Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, said: "Hampshire Cricket want to attract some of the best cricket in the world and we're very keen to make sure that happens.

"To do that, there needs to be floodlights but we want to see what impact that has on the local community.

"So far, we've been very impressed there was very little light spillage during the Twenty20 international.

"The lights did what they're supposed to do by lighting up The Rose Bowl and not West End."

And Rose Bowl plc managing director Glenn Delve added: "We have an agreement with the council to use the floodlights on only six occasions this season.

"Originally, we thought we might need to use them for next month's two England v India women's matches at The Rose Bowl, but will not be doing so, so the lights will only be used on four occasions in total this year.

"They worked very well during the Twenty20 international and one of our neighbours has said he will be writing to the council to say they did not interfere with him at all. In time we hope to be able to use them on more than six occasions each year."

The state-of-the-art floodlights will not be switched on again until August 23, when Hampshire play Surrey in the new Pro40 league.

They will also be used for the England v Pakistan ODI on September 5, and Hampshire's penultimate Pro40 league match against Worcestershire on September 13.