Utilita Bowl

 

History of the Utilita Bowl (formerly the Rose Bowl / Ageas Bowl), home of Hampshire Cricket in West End, near Southampton.

Origins (1980s–2001)

• Why move? Hampshire had outgrown Northlands Road (their HQ since 1885) and wanted a venue capable of hosting major internationals. A new site at West End on land owned by Queen’s College, Oxford was chosen.

• Design & build. Architect Sir Michael Hopkins designed the amphitheatre-style ground with a tented-roof pavilion. Construction began 1997; the name “The Rose Bowl” (after Hampshire’s rose and the bowl-shaped site) was announced in 2000.

• Opening season. First completed match at the new ground was a List A game (v Surrey) on 4 May 2001; first first-class game was 9–11 May 2001, Hampshire v Worcestershire, which Hampshire won by 124 runs.

Early international era (2003–2009)

• ODI status awarded from 2004; first ODI actually staged earlier on 10 Jul 2003 (South Africa v Zimbabwe). The ground also hosted matches in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.

• T20 milestone. England’s first men’s T20I was played here on 13 Jun 2005—England 179/8 beat Australia 79 by 100 runs. Hosted further ODIs and T20 Finals Day 2008 (Hampshire won the title at home). Temporary seating often took capacity from c. 6,500 up to 15,000 for big days.

Redevelopment & Test status (2009–2014)

• After a failed 2006 bid to host Ashes Tests, Hampshire invested £35–45m to expand permanent capacity, add new East/West stands, improve access, and plan an on-site hotel—paving the way for Test status.

• First Test: 16–20 Jun 2011, England v Sri Lanka (rain-hit draw; Chris Tremlett took the ground’s first Test five-for).

• 2012: Financial restructuring saw Eastleigh Borough Council purchase the lease with a sub-lease back to the club; the ground took the Ageas Bowl name after a naming-rights deal.

• 2014: Hosted another England Test (v India).

Maturity & marquee moments (2013–2021)

• Record T20I innings: Aaron Finch 156 (63) for Australia here on 29 Aug 2013—then a world record.

• 2019: Staged group matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup.

• 2020 bio-secure venue: One of two hubs (with Old Trafford) during COVID; hosted England v West Indies and England v Pakistan Tests and ODIs behind closed doors.

• 2021: Venue for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final (18–23 Jun), where New Zealand beat India.

Site & facilities

• Pavilion & stands. The pavilion (since 2015 the Rod Bransgrove Pavilion) sits between the Colin Ingleby-MacKenzie and Shane Warne Stands.

• On-site hotel & golf. Hilton at the Ageas Bowl (171 rooms) opened 14 May 2015; the Boundary Lakes 18-hole course opened to the public 10 Jul 2017. A health club is also on site.

• Capacity. About 15,000 permanent, up to ~25,000 with temporary seating.

• Multi-use venue. Regular fireworks events and large concerts (e.g., Oasis 2005, Billy Joel 2006, The Who 2007, Rod Stewart 2016, Arctic Monkeys 2023).

Naming & ownership timeline

• 2001–2012: The Rose Bowl.

• 2012–2023: Ageas Bowl (Ageas insurance naming rights).

• From 19 Jan 2024: Utilita Bowl (new naming-rights deal with Utilita Energy).

• 2024: Parent company Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd agreed a phased sale to India’s GMR Group (co-owners of the IPL’s Delhi Capitals), making Hampshire the first English county to move into overseas ownership; the deal includes the site (stadium, hotel, golf).

• 2025: GMR also moved to acquire 49% of Southern Brave Ltd, the Hundred team based at the ground.

International highlights (selected)

• First ODI at the venue: 10 Jul 2003—South Africa v Zimbabwe.

• England’s first men’s T20I: 13 Jun 2005—England beat Australia by 100 runs.

• First Test match: 16–20 Jun 2011—England v Sri Lanka (draw).

• WTC Final: 18–23 Jun 2021—New Zealand beat India to win the inaugural title.