Essex are to charge members admission to next season's Twenty20 Cup matches.
That is the shock news that will be dropping through letter boxes during the next few days and it is bound to meet with an angry response from county fans.
Many will interpret it as a money-grabbing exercise and accusations of greed will no doubt be levied at the committee.
Members attending Twenty20 clashes against Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex at Chelmsford in July will be asked to stump up £12 for each duel, although a discount of £6 is available to those booking before May 15.
Last summer the two battles at headquarters against Kent and Middlesex attracted near-capacity crowds in the region of 7,000 and officials see the competition as a means of generating much-needed cash to keep the bank manager smiling.
Even so, members will be very reluctant to dig deep into their pockets, especially as they face a rise in the region of six percent in their fees.
Published Thursday December 18, 2003
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