Hampshire could play first-class cricket at the new island venue

Hampshire could once again play first-class cricket on the Isle of Wight, according to the county's director of cricket Tim Tremlett.

With the opening of a new county ground at Newclose, near Newport, Tremlett says he is open to a future move.

"We'll have to look at that. It's a big enough ground with good facilities," he told BBC Radio Solent.

Hampshire have not staged a competitive game on the Island since playing Worcestershire at Cowes in May 1962.

A Hampshire XI is set to play a Newclose invitational XI in a Twenty20 match on 31 July to mark the first season at the new venue.

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Mike Scott, general manager of Newclose, told BBC Radio Solent: "Once the ground was finished it was our first objective to get Hampshire over here to play, keep them playing and then get them to play a first-class match in the future."

Newclose took only two years to complete and aims to improve the standard of cricket on the island.

Hampshire played seven County Championship matches on the old J. Samuel White's Ground outside Cowes between 1956 and 1962.

Last year, the county played their first match on an out-ground since moving to the Rose Bowl in 2001, when they beat Durham at Basingstoke in the County Championship in August.

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