TICKETS for Stratford's eagerly anticipated five-day Festival of Cricket are now available from the town's Tourist Information Centre on Bridgefoot Road and fans are being advised to buy them early.

The reigning County champions will play two games at the Birmingham League club's picturesque riverside ground - a four-day game against Australian spin legend Shane Warne's Hampshire starting on May 25 and a Tot-esport League clash against Scotland on Sunday, May 29.

Tickets for the four-day game are priced at £10 per day for adults and £5 for under 16s and concessions.

Enthusiasts can watch all four days with a special match ticket priced at £30 for adults and £20 for concessions.

Tickets for the Sunday League game against the Scottish Saltires cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions. A family ticket admitting two adults and two children costs £20.

Demand

Warwickshire chief executive Dennis Amiss predicted that tickets will sell quickly: "Last year we attracted double the normal attendance for a Championship game by staging it at Stratford. And, with the Bears taking on Shane Warne's Hampshire team, closely followed by Scotland, I'm sure that demand will be even stronger this year."

John Deegan, director of planning, transport and economic strategy at Warwick-shire County Council, which is underwriting the Festival, added: "Stratford is a major attraction in its own right, but I'm confident that even more people than normal will be visiting the town during the Festival."

Tickets for both games are now on sale at the Tourist Information Centre on Brid-gefoot Road, which is open for business from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.

Telephone bookings can be made by calling 0870 160 7930 and all major credit and debit cards can be used for payment.

Tickets can also be purchased on-line at www.edgbaston.com or by phone from the ticket office at Edgbaston on 0870 062 1902.