DAVID Ward says Whitgift School will become a "cauldron of cricket" when they host rivals Surrey and Sussex in this summer's Twenty20 Cup.

The game has been scheduled for Monday July 4, and is the first time the South Croydon school have held a county match played over the shortest form of the game.

The televised fixture is in addition to Whitgift's other fixtures held annually.

This year's four-day game will be between Surrey and Essex and their one day game featuring Hampshire will be held in the same month.

"The headmaster has been keen to do one for a while," said Ward. "We have done four day games and one day matches so this is a natural progression. None of those games have been at the height of summer though, so with any luck we will have a nice hot day for it."

Ward, who played for Surrey between 1985 and 2001 before taking up the position of head of cricket at Whitgift, thinks the school will provide an ideal setting for the all-action run-fest of Twenty20 cricket.

"It is a pretty good theatre for hitting the ball about and I'm sure the public will see some good cricket," he added. "The way the ground is set up means you can sit on the grass and have a picnic if you want and we are sure there will be a festival atmosphere for this game."

It is the first time the Lions have held a home Twenty20 game away from the Oval and Ward, the Old Whitgiftians captain, hopes it will become a regular occurrence should the game be a success.

"We hope we can do as well as they can at the Oval. They obviously have a bigger venue but the hope is we will be able to fill.

"When we get a full house here it is like a cauldron of cricket as everyone is close to the action whereas at the Oval they are further back. I think the players all enjoy playing here too so it should be a special game."