Hampshire Cricket Recognised With Three Prestigious Prizes At ECB's Business Of Cricket Awards

The Club claimed the Community Engagement Campaign of the Year and Digital Campaign of the Year awards, while Head of Supporter Experience, Greig Stewart, received the Dinesh Patel MVP award

Hampshire Cricket picked up three prizes at the ECB’s 2022 Business of Cricket Awards, including the Community Engagement Campaign of the Year award for their transformational work with Hampshire Hawks City Academy.

The honour, which celebrates the power of cricket to make a positive difference to local communities, was presented to the Club for the launch of the Hampshire Hawks City Academy project which aimed to increase the number and diversity of young people playing cricket at all levels across the city of Southampton.

Furthermore, the Hawks City Academy – formed through a partnership between Hampshire Cricket and Cantell School, and in collaboration with Hampshire Cricket Board and Lord’s Taverners Wicketz programme - has successfully integrated existing participation programmes to create a functioning cricket pathway for young people who face barriers brought about by inequality and provided a clear route into professional cricket.

As a result of the project, which was launched in November 2021, over 3,000 children and young people have engaged in in-school taster sessions across 20 schools. The youngsters involved in the Hampshire Hawks City Academy also played seven competitive matches during the summer, culminating in a fixture on The Ageas Bowl’s main pitch.

Greig Stewart, Head of Supporter Experience at The Ageas Bowl, also took home the coveted Dinesh Patel MVP award during the event at Emirates Old Trafford.

The inaugural award, named in honour of the ECB’s Dinesh Patel who sadly passed away earlier this year, celebrates an individual who goes above and beyond for fans and supporters.

During a decade of service to the Club, Greig has continually strived to make the game as accessible as possible and is responsible for Hampshire Cricket, Hampshire Hawks and Southern Vipers putting supporter and visitor experience at the heart of everything that happens at The Ageas Bowl.

There is so much great work happening across the game and for Hampshire and The Ageas Bowl to be recognised within that company at the ECB’s 2022 Business of Cricket Awards is hugely pleasing.

The Community Engagement Campaign of the Year award is one we’re particularly proud of; the Hampshire Hawks City Academy has provided transformational opportunities to thousands of young people in Southampton in its first year and we look forward to growing the programme further in 2023.

Greig Stewart, The Ageas Bowl’s Head of Supporter Experience

The final of three awards Hampshire Cricket picked up on the evening was the Digital Campaign of the Year which recognised the Club’s social media output, and in particular the fan-led ‘Evening Major’ content which ran throughout the 2022 cricketing summer.

The social media campaign - the Club’s most popular on record – gained almost 2 million impressions, over 500,000 video views and just short of 140,000 engagements.

The campaign transcended county boundaries and gained traction in the wider-cricketing social space while giving all those following Hampshire in the 2022 season a consistent vehicle through which to celebrate and commiserate performance.

The Club was also shortlisted for the Tickets/Membership Sales & Marketing Campaign of the Year for their partnership with South Western Railway as well as the Customer Retention Initiative of the Year award.


The Ageas Bowl hosts two England internationals in 2023 with England Women facing Australia in an Ashes ODI on Sunday 16th July before England Men face New Zealand in an ODI of their own on Sunday 10th September.

Tickets for both matches have been in high demand since being released with over 75% of tickets sold for England Women’s ODI and England Men’s ODI selling out before the start of the general sale.

To secure your place – hospitality packages still remain for England Men’s ODI – simply visit the link below.

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