Fortunately, with Cheltenham Cricket Festival just round the corner in July, you need not travel so far especially if you are joining us at Cooks Green Cottage during the festival. While many of us think of cricket as a polite game that has a soundtrack of polite applause and the thwack of leather hitting willow, the reality of the professional games is one of fast-paced athletes with ultimate competitiveness in mind. However, the festival has something for everyone and is the oldest running celebration of cricket in the world. This famous sporting festival began in 1872 and runs on average for 12 days which is enough time to hone your own skills or satisfy your appetite for some really top class cricket.
Background
The Cheltenham Cricket Festival is still held at the original location in the grounds of Cheltenham College amongst the magnificent college buildings and perfectly manicured pitches.
The famous cricketer W. G. Grace is closely associated with the festival and played in the very first Cheltenham Cricket Festival match taking 12 wickets to help beat Surrey the opponents on the day. He was born in the Cotswold region in Bristol and was coached in cricket by his father. Still remembered as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, you will sense the spirit of W.G. at this historic event.
Gloucestershire have played at Cheltenham for more than 140 years and the idyllic grounds are the perfect backdrop for spectators and fan to see the stars of cricket and exciting action. Additional excitement is in the form of three Friends Life t20 matches. This is the very first time this cricket format has been played at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival. This particular format is all about non-stop action and big hits so a great event to be enjoyed by all the family.
With county cricket matches on offer with some of the finest teams in Great Britain, you can follow the daily action in the blissful surroundings of the festival enjoying some hopefully fine weather soaking up the atmosphere and cheering on your preferred cricket team.
Family Fun
Throughout the Festival, there are numerous events and attractions including free cricket coaching for children and a wide choice of hospitality outlets serving food and drinks in bars, restaurants and a Food Village.
Whether you are an enthusiastic cricket fan or are new to the game, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival is a spectacular event and a magnificent opportunity to see world-class sport in hopefully classic English summer weather (and we don’t mean rain!).
The Fixtures
Over the course of the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, there will be five major fixtures:
- 1. Gloucestershire vs. Kent -Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 July 2013. Gloucestershire play Kent in a four County Cricket Championship match.
- 2. Gloucestershire vs. Warwickshire – Sunday 14 July 2013. Gloucestershire play in the 1-day Friends Life Twenty20 match against Warwickshire.
- 3. Gloucestershire vs. Northamptonshire -Tuesday 16 July 2013. Gloucestershire play a one-day Friends Life Twenty20 match against Northamptonshire.
- 4. Gloucestershire vs. Worcestershire Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 July 2013. Gloucestershire play Worcestershire in a four-day County Cricket Championship match.
- 5. Gloucestershire vs. Glamorgan -Sunday 21 July 2013. Gloucestershire play a one-day Friends Life Twenty20 match against Glamorgan.
With such a fabulous event coming up, book into Cooks Green Cottage – we will even provide the sun cream for the festival! With a hamper full of Gloucestershire’s finest tasty treats and some cool drinks, you will be set up for a few days viewing of one of the best traditional sporting events in the world.