Price is right to enjoy CricInfo Championship

There has never been a better time to watch county cricket. With the CricInfo Championship now in full swing and the sunshine making a belated entrance down the order, how better to enjoy the summer than visiting a county ground for a day of quality cricket?

CricInfo have looked into the prices around the country for a day of CricInfo Championship action. The results prove there to be excellent cricket all around the country at very good value for money.

The AMP Oval, and the reigning Champions, Surrey, offers a particularly attractive day out. £7 for an adult and £3 for concessions to see Alec Stewart, Saqlain Mushtaq, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash, and the Hollioakes et al. represents fantastic value.

Lancashire are another top club charging just £8 for adults to see their Test stars in action. With Andrew Flintoff, John Crawley, Mike Atherton and Muralitharan all on show this season and compares favourably to £35 for 90 minutes of football at an equivalent level. Warwickshire go one better, with a gate price of £6 and £3 for concessions.

But best of all are Durham. They charge just £5 to watch the likes of Steve Harmison (perhaps the quickest bowler in the CricInfo Championship) and Paul Collingwood - one of the most exciting prospects in the country.

£9 is the average price for clubs (Gloucestershire, Essex, Derbyshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire), with all offering a variety of concessions to juniors, OAPs and even dogs (Derby £2). Some clubs, such as Derby, even offer free entry to accompanied children, while a typical concession represents 50% of the full gate price.

£10 is the upper limit of what you can expect to pay (Yorkshire, Somerset, Leicestershire, Hampshire, Notts and Northants - though all offer concessions) and if you can't spare the time off work, or just fancy pooping into the ground on your way home, many clubs operate a policy whereby spectators will be allowed in for free for the final hour, or even session, of play.

nb: Figures are correct on date of publication but are subject to change.