ICC Cricket World Cup is coming to Canterbury

Kent Cricket and The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge are delighted to announce that the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy will be coming to Canterbury on Tuesday 14 May as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan.

The 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup will be held in England & Wales from 30th May – 14th July. The first match will be played at The Oval while the final will be played at Lord’s. It’s the fifth time that the Cricket World Cup will be held in England and Wales, following the 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups.

It will be on display to the public at The Beaney during the afternoon of 14 May. The exact times are still to be confirmed, but entrance will be free. The Beaney is the only public venue in Kent to host the trophy.

Situated in the heart of historic Canterbury, The Beaney is an Art Gallery, Library, Cafe and Visitor Information Centre. This award winning facility provides state-of-the-art exhibition galleries, excellent educational facilities and a varied programme of events for all ages.

The city council’s Director of Commissioned Services, David Ford, said: “It’s a real coup for The Beaney to be chosen as the only location in Kent to have the trophy on show to the general public, and we’re really looking forward to what will be such a special event.

“Of course the city has very strong cricketing links, being the home of Kent County Cricket Club, so excitement for the World Cup will already be mounting. The arrival of the trophy will mean our residents and visitors have the opportunity to be part of this fantastic sporting event.”

During the morning the trophy will visit The Canterbury Academy, home of the East Kent Cricket Academy and the Canterbury Academy Sports Partnership.

Working with Kent Cricket, the two organisations will invite children from schools across the district to partake in some cricket activities before getting within touching distance of the trophy on what is set to be a morning to remember.

Canterbury Academy Director of Sport, Phil Relf, said: “It will be a tremendous honour for The Canterbury Academy Trust to be part of the ICC World Cup Trophy Tour.

“Our school cricket programme has continued to develop in recent years with a number of our students being selected for Kent county age group squads.

Kent’s only city has also been home to the county’s first-class cricket team, Kent County Cricket Club, since its foundation in 1870.

Kent Cricket’s Chief Executive Officer, Simon Storey, said: “I’m delighted that the Cricket World Cup Trophy is coming to Canterbury, the home of Kent Cricket.

“It’s fantastic for the city and wider county that the biggest prize in World Cricket is coming here, with the eyes of over a billion people on England and Wales this Summer for this tournament.

“I hope to see the local community embrace this unique opportunity and it would be fantastic to see as many cricket fans as possible, young and old, visiting The Beaney whilst the trophy is here.”