COUNTIES LOSE £25M WITH FANS LOCKED OUT OF T20 BLAST

THE 18 first class counties are bracing themselves for combined losses of about £25million after the Government ruled out the prospect of spectators attending the rescheduled Twenty20 Blast. In an otherwise welcome announcement for sport the Government’s proposed return date for fans on October 1 was bad news for county cricket clubs, who had been lobbying hard for crowds to be allowed at the T20 Blast, their main source of revenue other than ECB handouts. The competition has become a huge commercial success since it was launched in 2003, with a record 950,000 tickets sold last year generating around £20m for the counties, as well as additional £5m in hospitality income. Lancashire and Surrey both conducted feasibility studies earlier this summer which demonstrated how Old Trafford and the Oval respectively could accommodate up to 6,000 spectators while maintaining social distancing, but their hopes appear to have been dashed. With a four-day red-ball competition due to begin on August 1 the final of the Blast has been scheduled for September 19, three days before mass gatherings will be permitted. ‘From October we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums,’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday. ‘These changes must be done in a Covid-secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.’ To compound the counties’ financial problems it is understood that Blast ticket sales are not covered by the ECB’s insurance policy, unlike international matches, which has softened the blow of England’s Test series against West Indies and Pakistan taking place behind closed doors. In addition the Blast does not generate TV income, with Sky Sports’ £1.1billion five-year deal based on exclusive rights to England matches and the new Hundred competition, the first edition of which was cancelled this year. Being denied gate receipts for the Blast is another huge blow for counties who have seen the first three months of the season scrapped and are struggling with the costs of holding a four-day competition next month which seven of the 18 voted against staging. The biggest clubs such as Surrey will suffer the most, but have sufficient reserves to cope, whereas smaller counties such as Leicestershire are only being kept afloat by the ECB’s £1.3m annual funding. Ironically cricket will be the first sport to stage one of the test events the Government announced yesterday, with some spectators allowed to attend a two-day friendly between Surrey and Middlesex at the Oval on July 26-27. The World Snooker Championship at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre from July 31 and the final day of Glorious Goodwood on August 1 will also be used as test events, with a crowd of 5,000 to be permitted at Goodwood.