Twenty20 cricket just keeps getting more and more popular, despite those critics who said that it was just a passing phase.

Now in its fifth year, since its launch in 2003, this form of the game is thriving, particularly in South London, where the Brit Oval can report booming attendances for all Surrey Twenty20 Cup group matches.

Astonishingly, for tonight’s last group game between Surrey and Kent, the Club has sold out of all public tickets in advance, which is the first time ever for a domestic match.

The appetite for International tickets has always been strong in London and the Brit Oval has always sold out for international games here in advance since 1987 but the domestic match attendances have always been dwindling.

Enter Twenty20 and crowds all over the country have soared. Surrey County Cricket Club were delighted to report in excess of over 50,000 people passing through their gates for Surrey’s four home matches last year and this year they have gone one better.

For the first match, over 18,000 piled in to watch the home side scrape home in an exciting London derby and then two days later, despite a day marred by rain, over 14,000 were back for more when the Hampshire Hawks paid the Brown Caps a visit.

Last night’s match with the Sussex Sharks managed an incredible crowd of over 16,500 in miserable conditions and now with a quarter-final berth up for grabs, no one wants to miss a thrilling match between two old rivals, Surrey and Kent.

After tonight’s match, the Brit Oval would have hosted six Twenty20 matches, in the space of just two weeks and seen over 100,000 spectators pass through their gates.

On top of Surrey’s four home matches, the ground also played host to two back-to-back international Twenty20 games between England and West Indies. Tickets for both matches were sold out in advance before Christmas and it was fitting that all of those who attended, were treated to some high-class entertainment from both sides.

It is definitely fair to say that Twenty20 cricket has revitalised the domestic game and with careful management, it will only get better.

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