Saved! Horsham Festival of Cricket will go ahead

There had been major doubts over the event’s future with around £15,000 needed to save it, but today Sussex County Cricket Club confirmed the good news that first class cricket will be coming to Horsham again this July.

A statement from the county club said that a sustained effort from both Horsham CC and Sussex CCC, “in conjunction with a small number of sponsors and an anonymous benefactor, has ensured that Sussex are once again able to take top-class cricket around the county.”

Zac Toumazi, chief executive of Sussex Cricket, said: “Personally I am delighted that the Festival will be proceeding this year. We have had some sponsors come forward but without the substantial donation from an anonymous benefactor, it would not be going ahead.

“It is now up to all of us to make the Festival the most successful ever and work hard to attract sponsorship for 2015 and beyond. We must avoid this situation reoccurring.”

Sussex will be hosting an LV=County Championship Division One clash at Cricketfield Road in July against Warwickshire before entertaining Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The four-day game runs between Monday July 21 and Thursday July 24 before the 50-over clash on Sunday July 27.

County cricket has been played regularly at Horsham’s picturesque Cricketfield Road ground since 1908.

Information on tickets for the Horsham Festival of Cricket, as well as other county matches can be found on the Sussex County Cricket Club website.