Middlesex to play home Blast matches at Essex to alleviate financial pressures

Middlesex will play two of their home fixtures in next year's Vitality Blast at Essex's home ground of Chelmsford, in a bid to alleviate the growing financial pressures on the club.

Middlesex, which leases its primary venue, Lord's, from MCC, has recently used Radlett Cricket Club and Merchant Taylors' School near Watford as its preferred outgrounds.

However, with the club embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with its former chief executive Richard Goatley, and having been fined £150,000 for financial mismanagement by the ECB in September (£100,000 of which was suspended until October 2025), the current CEO Andrew Cornish has confirmed further cost-cutting measures.

"We have gone to lengths to be transparent and open with our members when discussing the financial position the club is in, and moving forwards we need to continue to take every step we can to ensure we remain rigorous in our control of the club's costs," Cornish said in a statement on Middlesex's website.

"The cost of setting up the infrastructure of an out-ground venue is a significant liability the club has historically had to factor into our financial model every year - increasingly so in recent seasons with the enhancements we have made to the member experience at out-ground matches."

As a consequence, Middlesex will play home fixtures at Chelmsford against Kent on May 31, and against Gloucestershire on July 18, as well as a third visit to face Essex on June 2, for which they will be the away team. They are due to play one Blast fixture at Radlett against Hampshire on July 6, as well as a brace of One-Day Cup games in August when Lord's will be in use for the Hundred.

"As we continue to scrutinise every cost the club incurs, out-ground set-up costs stand out as an area which we could make a significant positive impact on," Cornish added.

"We have, as a result, been in discussion with our friends at Essex, who have been very receptive to the idea of hosting us at the Cloud County Ground for two of our Blast matches this year."