Ageas Bowl to be known as Utilita Bowl following new deal

In a major development, the Hampshire venue, the Ageas Bowl, is all set to undergo a name change and will be called the Utilita Bowl after the club agreed to a new naming-rights deal with Utilita Energy amid plans to become the "world's greenest cricket ground."

The venue, which was originally called the Rose Bowl at its inception in 2001, has undergone many changes for the better since its advent. With its hotels and golf courses and a cricket ground that has hosted as many as 50 international matches in the past two decades, the Ageas Bowl is one iconic venue.

Furthermore, the stadium is slated to host 19 more internationals from 2025 to 2031, which will include a men’s Ashes Test match in 2027 and a women’s Ashes Test in 2031.

There are plans for the venue to go pro-planet and help in saving the environment. As part of the initiative, more than 1000 solar panels are set to be installed, capable of generating around 25 percent of the electricity used in the stadium each year.

We're delighted to partner with Utilita: David Mann

With the rebranding of the stadium, David Mann, CEO at Utilita Bowl, came forward to reflect on how delighted they were with the partnership and opine that it was the dawn of a new era for the venue. 

"We're delighted to partner with Utilita, a Hampshire-based business that share our values and can now help shape our vision of creating the greenest international cricket venue in the world, this is the dawn of a new era for the venue, and we're excited by the possibilities this partnership will offer,” David Mann was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

It is also worth noting that the Utilita Bowl is the home venue of Southern Brave in The Hundred, and the club management recently confirmed that the franchise was in talks with potential investors, which included GMR Group, the co-owners of Delhi Capitals.