Our cricket festival will be back (From Gazette)

Our cricket festival will be back

12:10pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Essex County Cricket Club news By Chris Phillips

THE Southend Cricket Festival will be going ahead this summer, without Essex Cricket Club.

Last year the county controversially decided to stop playing in the town after 105 years.

But the Echo can reveal the festival will still place at Garon Park in June with two CB40 matches taking place in the space of three days.

The first clash will see Unicorns, a team made up of former professional players, taking on Sussex on Sunday, June 3.

Two days later Unicorns will take on Kent at the same venue, much to the delight of Neil Harding – the festival operations manager.

“We’re really thrilled that first class cricket will be coming back to Southend again,” said Harding.

“They’re two good matches and it also gives us a chance to improve the infrastructure at Garon Park as we try to get Essex back to play here again in the near future.”

Full details were set to be confirmed at a committee meeting late last night with an official statement being released in the next few days.

However, news of the festival carrying on will come as a big boost to cricket fans in south east Essex who were left furious when the county opted to stop playing in Southend.

FULL STORY IN WEDNESDAY'S ECHO