DORSET have again been left to count the cost of the postponement of their prestigious T20 friendly against neighbours Hampshire.

Officials were forced to call off the Dean Park showpiece early yesterday – the fixture biting the dust due to the weather for the second season in succession.

Overnight rain on Sunday had left the outfield waterlogged, while further drizzle during Monday scuppered Dorset’s biggest payday of the year.

Sean Walbridge, team manager of the Minor Counties outfit, told the Daily Echo: “We had been hoping for a sizeable crowd, possibly between 2,000 and 3,000.

“Financially, it is a major disappointment to have the fixture called off, especially for the second year running.

“But the forecast was poor and we had to take the Hampshire players into consideration. They are professional cricketers and they have a live T20 game on Wednesday against Somerset to prepare for. It is their opening fixture in the competition and they were keen for us to make an early decision.”

Dorset had paid up front for a number of services, including the hire of temporary portable toilets, catering facilities and the cost of holding the match at Dean Park.

Walbridge added: “It costs a lot of money to run a Minor Counties cricket team and this would have been a fantastic opportunity to raise some much needed revenue.

“We don’t necessarily rely on it and had contingency plans in place. We had insurance and you have to box clever on that front. We will be able to get that sorted now in order to make sure that we don’t lose any money and all our costs are covered.

“There were a number of financial outlays but we have got a very shrewd treasurer in Peter Moxam and he ensured we had a policy in place that, if it did rain, we would be able to claim and recoup our losses.”

Walbridge said Hampshire’s busy schedule during the first half of the season would prevent the fixture being rearranged.