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Bowled over by cricket fever

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TRENT Bridge has broken its own record for the most spectators visiting the ground in one month.

More than 125,000 fans flocked to the famous arena to watch cricket during July. Attendances at the Friends Life Twenty-20 matches were up by 49 per cent year-on-year, with a combined total of more than 40,000 visitors across the five group matches.

All five days of England's Ashes Test against Australia attracted capacity crowds of 17,007. More than 7,000 of the fans each day watching the Test matches were from Australia.

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club chief executive Lisa Pursehouse, said: "Cricket in Notts is very well supported and the commitment of our members and supporters to making regular trips to Trent Bridge is something of which we're immensely proud.

"Our membership prices are amongst the lowest in county cricket and we made a commitment to offer tickets at £20 for under 21s and £10 for under 16s throughout our Ashes Test which proved to be exceptionally popular."

"Playing in front of big crowds is great for the players.

"Trent Bridge is the real home of cricket and the support we've had at home this season has been phenomenal," Twenty-20 captain David Hussey said. "There's a genuine big-match atmosphere here on Twenty-20 game days and we always back ourselves to perform when we have a big home crowd behind us.

"Playing at home is a big advantage and we're very lucky to have such dedicated support in Notts."

On Monday the Post reported that an extra 55,000 visitors had been to some of Nottingham's best-loved attractions in the first six months of the year. Trent Bridge has worked in partnership with Notts County Council, Nottingham City Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council and tourism organisation Experience Nottinghamshire to maximise the benefits of staging major matches for the regional economy.

Experience Nottinghamshire chief executive Jennifer Spencer said the cricket events at Trent Bridge provide a major boost to the local economy, with businesses around the city and county benefiting from the impact of thousands of cricket visitors.

Trent Bridge bosses believe they can play a big role in attracting people to Notts. "We serve a lot of ticket buyers who live outside of Notts and the positive impact for hotels, restaurants and local businesses is particularly pleasing," Ms Pursehouse said.

The bumper summer at Trent Bridge seems set to continue with Notts assured of a home Twenty-20 quarter-final, on top of three home County Championship matches, two Yorkshire Bank 40 group games, a fixture against Bangladesh A and an under 19s international triangular final – all set to be staged in Notts in August and September.

Ms Pursehouse added: "There is certainly an element of Ashes fever at the moment and we're also benefiting from warm weather.

"There is still a lot of cricket to be played but I'm sure that 2013 will go down as a memorable year for Trent Bridge and cricket in general."


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