EXETER are officially opening their new £800,000 pavilion on Bank Holiday Monday with a celebration game.

The club’s old pavilion was pulled down this time last year as part of a redevelopment scheme in a corner of the County Ground.

New student accommodation for the University of Exeter went up and part of the deal was that the club got a new pavilion.

The old wood-fronted pavilion, which was opened in 1902 when W G Grace brought his London Counties team to Exeter to play Devon, was in a terrible state of repair.

Devon building contractors finished work on the new pavilion in January and handed it over to the club, who have been turning it into their home.

The club has long had a relationship with the nearby university, generations of students and lecturers have played for Exeter, so is seemed appropriate to involve the university in the big game.

Exeter official Bruce Coleman, a former vice-chancellor at the university, has helped put together and Invitation XI to play against an Exeter President’s XI in the first full-scale match played on the ground since the pavilion went up.

“The Invitation XI is pretty much made up of former or present University players who have played for Exeter CC in recent years, including Joe Barrs, Andrew Curtis, Neal Prowse, Alex Morgan, Tom Barton and James Rimmer,” said Coleman.

“Others include Ollie Mills, Luke Matthews and either Rob Craze or Tom Coldman from the present University side. 

“The President’s XI is mainly drawn from Exeter with some reinforcement from Devon.

“That side includes Jon Tipper, Rob Holman, Blake Read, Alex Barrow, Ben Green, Miles Lenygon, Matt Thompson, Tom Lammonby, Dom Bess, Alfonso Thomas and George Greenway.

“We have aimed at something close to Minor Counties standard for the match and there should be some good cricket on view. 

“Good cricket, rather than the result, is the point.”

The match is due to start at 12.30pm.