A grant of £150,000 from Sport England has been received, as the club act in response to a number of comments made by visitors to the Rose Bowl last season.

One of the main complaints made during the inaugural campaign at the new ground were on safety issues including the dangerous steps leading down to the pitch side and the uneven and unstable state of the stone on the berm.

But now, courtesy of the grant, Hampshire Cricket have invested in metallic handrails to aid the negotiating of the steps and the compaction of the stones for the time being ahead of some extensive work, which will commence during next winter.

A £1million project to tarmac the car parking areas will start after the coming season, while the commission of lighting will also be included in this plan, which it is envisaged will be completed by the 2003 season.

© Hampshire Cricket