LETTER: Cricket festival needs support

The Horsham cricket festival is scheduled to take place in July with a visit by Warwickshire CCC for a four day County Championship match starting on Monday 21st, followed by a one day 50 over contest against Nottinghamshire on the following Sunday, 2th July.

By The Newsroom

Published 27th Feb 2014, 08:00 BST

This is a wonderful opportunity for fans of all ages to experience first class cricket and to see some international stars performing on our beautiful local ground, and also for the town to benefit from the influx of visitors spending time and money in our shops.

County cricket in Horsham is traditional, and apart from wartime breaks and a lengthy period between 1957 and 1973, has been played here since 1908.

However, there is now a real possibility that the festival may be lost to Hove this year and also in future years, because of the high cost of staging the event and the lack of sponsorship.

Surely, the people and commercial community of Horsham cannot allow this prestigious annual festival to vanish from our summer calendar again? Sussex CCC needs guarantees of support of around £15,000. Who can save it from extinction?

DAVID J. STONER

The Hawthorns, West Chiltington

Nottinghamshire Hove