Hampshire look to 'break the mould' and become the world's greenest cricket ground after signing a naming rights deal with Utilita Energy

Hampshire's stadium is now called the Utilita Bowl after a naming rights dealIt is having 1000 solar panels installed which will save a large sum in electric billChief executive David Mann says he hopes others follow in their footstep 

Hampshire intend to turn their home into the world’s greenest cricket ground after signing a naming rights deal with Utilita Energy.

The Utilita Bowl, as it is now known, is having 1000 solar panels installed, capable of generating a quarter of the electricity used in the stadium each year.

Over the course of the eight-year deal with Utilita – locally based and the UK’s ninth-biggest energy company – Hampshire aim to reduce their carbon footprint significantly.

The solar installation alone will save up to 80 tonnes of carbon, and a six-figure sum on electricity bills annually, and the next steps are to plant dozens of trees on what is already a leafy site and revert to using stored rather mains water for ground maintenance.

‘We wanted to do something that was really transformational and really tangible that would really break the mould and hopefully we will inspire others to do similar,’ Hampshire chief executive David Mann said.

Hampshire intend to turn their home ground into the world’s greenest cricket ground

The club’s finances are in focus as Hampshire’s majority shareholder and former chairman Rod Bransgrove is in talks to sell his stake to overseas investors – understood to be Indian Premier League team Delhi Capitals.

If agreement is reached, it would be the first instance of foreign ownership in the county game.

Non-disclosure agreements prevent club officials discussing details, but of the potential landmark moment, Mann said: ‘It’s not a question of nationality. I think it’s about getting the right investor at the right time to replace Rod. That’s the most important thing.

‘We’ve been a privately-owned business for 20-odd years now, and no one would really be able to argue against it being a positive thing for the for the venue and for the game more broadly.’