Following the successful Custom Solar Chesterfield Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council in early July, Derbyshire will return to Queen’s Park this September for the Specsavers County Championship fixture versus Kent.
The four-day fixture, which starts on Tuesday 19 September, has been moved to Chesterfield to minimise the risk of the pitch at Derby not being fit for play in the event of a period of particularly poor weather at the same time of the Boyzone concert on Saturday 16 September.
The beautiful Queen’s Park held five days of cricket two weeks ago as part of the annual festival, with over 9,000 supporters enjoying top class cricket in the town.
The match against Kent will provide Members and supporters in the north of the county another opportunity to watch Derbyshire in action, while the Club also plans to provide a free bus service from Derby to Chesterfield for Members who wish to attend the fixture at Queen’s Park.
Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “We all understand how important concerts and events are to ensuring financial stability of the Club. Without these events, our cricket budget would be significant smaller.
“The Elton John concert proved how successful it could be and we were also blessed with good weather on the evening. However, this was our first concert and we learned a lot about the recovery period required not just for the square, but also the outfield.
“Whilst confident that under normal weather conditions the pitch at Derby would be playable, we have decided, following the success of this year’s festival, to move the fixture to our northern outpost at Chesterfield.
“The hosting of ICC Women’s World Cup warm-up matches and the week-long festival have demonstrated the progress made by Chesterfield Borough Council with the drainage systems at Queen’s Park.
“Chesterfield is a beautiful venue and the pitches prepared for this year’s festival have produced some very exciting cricket for both the shortest and longest formats, and we look forward to returning for a second time this year.
“The venue switch has taken some time to finalise as we have to take into account a lot of variables. We are grateful to our partners at ECB, Chesterfield Cricket Club and Chesterfield Borough Council for their support. I would also like to thank Members for their cooperation.
“We are also pleased to be able to offer a daily bus service from The 3aaa County Ground which can be booked by Members, free of charge.”
Councillor Steve Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, added: “It is great news that Chesterfield is to play host to first class cricket for a second time this year.
“The festival of cricket was a great success with good crowds for the Durham four-day match and a sell-out for the NatWest T20 Blast game against Yorkshire Vikings.
“Having this additional game against Kent is another opportunity to showcase Chesterfield to visitors from outside the town, which will benefit businesses in the town and the local economy.”
Full details about the complimentary bus service for Members will be announced in due course. To signal your interest, please email [email protected].
NatWest T20 Blast is back this July and August. Save £4 by purchasing your matchday tickets in advance. While further discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Buy online today to secure your place and save.
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