Red Ball Cricket at the Utilita Bowl

Hampshire Cricket are bringing red-ball cricket back to the Utilita Bowl from Thursday 20 August, when they take on Yorkshire in the Rothesay County Championship. It's the oldest format of the game, and the club is treating it as more than just a match: they've built a whole celebration around it, spread across the opening three days. The cricket is the main thing, but there's a host of activities running alongside it that look at Hampshire's cricketing history, the recreational game, and the traditions that make red-ball cricket what it is. They're also offering under-16s free entry, which they've framed as a way to introduce the next generation to first-class cricket.

If you're not usually one for the longer format, it's worth remembering what else the Utilita Bowl does. It's the home of the Southern Brave, the 2021 men's and 2023 women's The Hundred champions. Their squad includes Jofra Archer, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, and Jamie Smith, along with overseas stars Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues, Tristan Stubbs, and Marcus Stoinis. Last year's fixture against Birmingham Phoenix at the ground sold out, with jam-packed crowds at every game, so the place knows how to handle a big crowd.

This one is a different pace, though. The match starts on Thursday 20 August and runs through to Saturday 22 August, with play from 11:00 each day. Tickets start at £15, and under-16s go free. The ground is at Botley Road, West End, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 3XH.