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The champagne corks were popping at the Brit Oval cricket ground, home to Surrey County Cricket Club in South London. After 18 months of debate, a £35 million redevelopment of the Pavilion end of its grounds had finally been approved.

It was 'an exciting moment' says Suzi Kent, head of marketing and communications at Surrey County Cricket Club. 'Everyone who works here knows what the development will mean for the club and the surrounding areas,'

The redevelopment, which will include a new stand, increasing capacity from 23,000 to 25,000, and a 168 room four star hotel, first received the go-ahead in January last year, but then the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stepped in.

'They were concerned that the development was too close to Kennington Gasholder Station, so there was a public inquiry where we had to give details of the application,' says South African born Kent. 'It became a high profile test case.'

Kent, who had worked closely with local residents and businesses regarding the plans, was thrown into dealing with lawyers and politicians as the inquiry unfolded.

'I can't tell you how many open days we had with local residents and businesses. We didn't want to build something that would be a blot on the landscape. The development was designed to work for us and benefit the local community,' she explains. 'We shared our plans with the authorities and worked very closely with Lambeth Council.' In the event the only residents who opposed the development were those 'who would lose their free view', says Kent. 'But we do try to keep the residents in the loop on issues that may affect them, and we have a residents' helpline.'

The intervention of the HSE, and ensuing inquiry, was an unexpected blow. 'It was very extensive,' says Kent. 'It was very challenging.' Rather than employing a lobbying agency, she relied on her 'good relations' with sports, national and local journalists to highlight the benefits of the development, while teams of solicitors working for all parties involved in the project worked on their submissions.

If the Oval development had been rejected, there would have been implications for developers at the 2010 Olympics site, which is also being constructed close to gas works.

'It was nice to see that common sense prevailed,' says Kent, days after the judgment was passed. Work will start soon and it is expected that the development will be completed by 2011. 'It is a big project and it needs to be scheduled around the cricket season,' she explains. 'And we have to work under strict guidelines so at not to impinge local residents at certain hours.'

MULTI TASKING

Unlike some major football clubs, Surrey County Cricket Club does not have a billionaire owner. The redevelopment is being funded by Arora Hotels, run by Asian businessman Surinder Arora, while the cricket club provides the land, which has been leased from the Duchy of Cornwall since 1845, when it was a market garden. 'The Prince of Wales personally approved the drawings and plans,' says Kent. 'It is all environmentally friendly. But this is also an opportunity to kick start regeneration in the Kennington area.'

The regeneration project is just one aspect of Kent's work, which she stresses is much more than promoting players like Mark Ramprakash. 'It is hugely challenging. I manage a huge list of stakeholders, including 7,500 members, local residents, local authorities, sponsors and the press,' she says. 'I also manage the communications around our 1st XI cricket team.' She must be able to react to news, such as injuries or scores, instantly. Surrey's new website, which launched in April, has become an invaluable channel for communicating player information to fans and members. 'We have 30,000 unique users every week during the quiet times, but in June and July [when the season is in full flow] this can reach 100,000,' she explains. The advantage for Kent is that she can update on Sundays, for example, from the comfort of her living room.

A big challenge for those marketing cricket is to get fans through the doors and onto the seats. 'It's not just about leaflets and posters. We are always looking for new ways to reach out,' says Kent. 'We use a more traditional marketing campaign when we sell tickets for the test matches, but for the Twenty20 Cup [a one-day competition to make cricket accessible to fans put off by the longer versions of the game] it is very much a through the line campaign. We use our database, email members, use PR and outdoor advertising.'

But the success of these campaigns is often affected by the vagaries of the British summer. Kent knows that sunny weather will prompt loyal fans and those who fancy a fun day out to join the crowds at the Oval, while only the most loyal of fans might turn up on a freezing cold rainy day where play might be regularly interrupted. 'We may have 7,500 members, but there are only a couple of hundred diehards that will attend all the championships,' she says. 'If people wake up and the sun is shining and it seems to be a pretty reasonable day for playing, we can have a full ground.'

FANATICAL ABOUT CRICKET

With a roster of iconic players on Surrey's team, such as former Strictly Come Dancing winner and former England Test player Ramprakash, former England Test player Mark Butcher and former South Africa test player André Nel, Kent has to balance the needs of the club with their individual commercial interests and fans. 'You often see Mark Ramprakash fans wandering around,' she laughs. 'But these are players whose views hold weight. They have the respect of other players. But first and foremost they are here to play and win for the club.'

Kent will not single out her favourite player, but she is certainly a cricket fan. 'I grew up in South Africa where you are genetically programmed to be into sport, but I am a huge fan of Surrey County Cricket Club. I don't think you could do this job if you weren't passionate about cricket. You wouldn't be able to extract the best out of the opportunities available.' She pauses. 'But I have my national allegiances. I still support South Africa over England.' 

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