MEDWAY Council will not be deterred in attempts bring first class cricket back to the Medway Towns after an absence of 15 years.

The Council hopes to stage a Twenty20 fixture in 2006, despite a Kent Cricket Club deputation ruling the Garrison Ground unsuitable.

The decision was taken following a site inspection on October 7, the contents of which have just been disclosed.

Cllr Wes Hollands, the council’s Sport and Leisure Portfolio Holder, said: "The battle to bring Kent cricket back to the Medway Towns goes on because the area has the biggest conurbation in the county.

"If we could stage a Twenty20 game here in Medway I believe it would be a sell-out because so many people want to see Kent back playing fixtures here.

"We’ve been told the ground is not good enough at the moment but we intend talking to the council’s landscapers to see what can be done and how much it would cost.

"Personally, I’m confident we shall succeed because there is so much goodwill towards Kent Cricket Club in Medway."

The report accepts that the Garrison has an area big enough for a first class game and will support the required public facilities, although there is no pavilion or other buildings.

Football pitches take up three sides of the outfield which, according to the report, has never been top dressed, harrowed or weeded and would take a large undertaking to bring up to standard.

The table is large enough for nine to 10 wickets, though it is not easy to see where the table started or finished.

In order to produce a first class playing surface in the shortest time, the report concludes it would be difficult to give a time scale for the necessary improvements to be made.

The amount of work required would depend on how many wickets would need to be available.