I hope that you all had an enjoyable festive break and that you are now well on the way in your preparations for a successful season in 2008.
The good news is that the MCC will be continuing to sponsor this competition under their ‘Spirit of Cricket’ banner.

Included in with this letter are the details of the draw for the Preliminary Round matches prior to each Regional Final.
You will find that the boundaries for some of the Regional Finals have been re-drawn as it has been decided that the Yorkshire County Champions should not progress directly to the Oakham Finals Week as has been the case in years past.
Yorkshire will now play in the North-East Regional Final.
This means that each Regional Final covers five counties therefore only one Play-off match is required in each Region.
So far arrangements for six of the eight Regional Finals have been confirmed, the North-East and North-West details will be notified to the relevant counties as soon as we have set dates and venues.

If your County winners are due to host a Play-off match prior to your Regional Final you will find that a pair of match balls have already been sent to your County Board for use in this match.

County Finals by Sunday 6th July
Note our Sussex final is to be held at Blackstone on JUNE 27TH 6PM - reserve date JULY 4TH 6PM.

Regional Finals by Wednesday 23rd July
Tuesday 22nd July at Horsham CC (reserve day Wednesday 23rd July)

The winner of the Preliminary Match between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire champions plus the winning teams from Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Organiser: Barry Peay, Little Lockets, Itchingfield, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0PD. Tel: 01403 790 444, Email: peay@waitrose.com

National Finals at Oakham School Monday 4th to Friday 8th August
Patrick Mahony

Competitions Manager

020 7432 1229

07917 521522

patrick.mahony@ecb.co.uk