The View from the New Debenture Boxes Revealed!

Jan 11 2013

The first pictures to give an impression of what the view will be like from The Ageas Bowl’s Diamond Debenture boxes are now available after the first floor was laid in the new Hotel development.

The images were taken earlier this week by the Club’s Operations team and show the ground as it will be seen – albeit with more spectators and action on the pitch! – during England’s Internationals at The Ageas Bowl once completed.

The shots also show how the exterior structure of the entire East Wing is now complete and the foundations for the West Wing are progressing well. See a collection of the photographs as well as a live web-cam of the development as a whole by clicking here.

A single Diamond Debenture is £7,500 and proceeds shall be used to assist with the re-financing being undertaken by The Ageas Bowl to complete the final stages of the venue development. A total of 260 Diamond Debentures were initially made available but, with more than 25% already allocated – including one which was bought by Club spin-bowling legend, Shane Warne – interest is certainly high for the boxes.

They aim to offer a similar mix of financial and entertainment benefits as the Club’s previously-available Platinum, Gold and Silver Debentures, which were launched in 2009, were fully subscribed in just four months. These include:

• 6% interest paid annually
• No administration fee
• Five-year term up to 2017
• Opportunity to purchase a place in a hospitality box in the new hotel with a seat on the balcony.

Diamond Debentures are open to individual savers, while individuals or corporate clients can also purchase a “Diamond Cluster” package which offers exclusive access to a private suite for up to 10 people for £70,000 – a saving of £5,000 - for up-coming England Internationals.

The Ageas Bowl will host a minimum of 12 days of international cricket up to the end of summer 2016. Australia, India and Pakistan will all visit the iconic venue, while International Matches for summer 2017 are still to be confirmed (see a full list of upcoming Internationals here).

Once complete, the 175-bedroom, 4-star, Hilton-branded hotel [artist's impression, left] will contain bedrooms, bars, restaurants and a function room facing onto the pitch as well as a Spa leisure club with gym, sauna, steam room and six individual rooms for beauty treatment and relaxation.

It is also expected that the hotel building will accommodate the club house for the Ageas Bowl’s 18-hole golf course including changing facilities, club shop, bar, golf restaurant, club lounge and terrace with views across the 18th green. Adjacent to the hotel bar, a main restaurant will offer high quality cuisine for 150 diners with views over the cricket ground and a further landscaped terrace outside with views across the countryside.

The hotel forms a key addition to The Ageas Bowl’s conference and exhibition facilities as a part of an international sports, leisure and business destination. As part of the wider development of the ground, which also included the construction of the new Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie and Shane Warne stands, it will see The Ageas Bowl become the only Model Test Match ground in the UK as defined by the England and Wales Cricket Board.