Future of village knockout secured

The future of the National Village knockout competition, which had been in doubt following the demise of The Cricketer, has been guaranteed after organisers agreed a sponsorship deal with npower.

The competition, which will be known as the npower Village Cricket Championship, will receive around £50,000 from npower, as well as an additional £15,000 from the brewers Hook Norton. The competition's future had been uncertain following the merger of The Cricketer with Wisden Cricket Monthly.

The Cricketer Cup, the competition for leading schools' old boys' sides, will also continue, with various potential sponsors in the pipeline. It is believed that fees for participating sides will be increased to cover costs should a deal not be signed. The final, which was played at Wormsley in 2003, will revert to the Bank Of England's ground at Roehampton in 2004.