Portsmouth waits on Salford reply to centenary cricket challenge
“Wouldn’t it have been nice to actually do something together?”
Portsmouth is “disappointed” that another city celebrating its centenary has ducked out of a cricket match challenge.
In 2026, Portsmouth and Salford are the only two cities in the UK celebrating their 100th anniversary of reaching city status.
Both were granted city status on 21 April 1926 by the Home Office.
On April 8, Alistair Thompson, former Hilsea councillor, invited Salford City Council’s Lord Mayor Paul Dennett to mark the occasion with “display of our authorities’ peak athletic prowess. Or, failing that, a game of cricket.”
He said the match would be “the perfect and fun way to celebrate 100 years of urban excellence standing in a field for several hours, arguing over leg before wicket decisions, and ultimately bonding over tea and sandwiches”.
“May the best city win, or at least the one with the fewest pulled hamstrings,” he added.
However, since the invitation was sent, Salford’s council has not confirmed whether it’s interested. It added it couldn’t compete on the proposed weekend of June 7 as it coincides with the city’s “we invented the weekend” celebrations.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted Salford City Council on May 6, when it said the matter would receive “further consideration once the local elections have concluded”.
On May 11, Salford was asked again and so far has not responded.
Reacting, Mr Thompson said “It’s really disappointing – there are only two cities that became cities 100 years ago”.
“Wouldn’t it have been nice to actually do something together?” he said.
He said it would have been a “fun” way of celebrating the centenaries and allow both councils to visit and celebrate each other.
Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “It’s disappointing that we won’t have the opportunity to meet them on the cricket pitch.
“It’s a shame but there’s plenty of other things going on for Portsmouth 100 and hopefully our local cricket club will find another way of celebrating it.”
In closing, he said the offer is still there and Salford remains welcome to the city.