More than 1,000 solar panels have been installed at the home of Hampshire Cricket.

Ahead of England’s Vitality IT20 match against Australia, the Utilita Bowl marked the end of the installation process with a switch-on moment led by two of Hampshire’s young cricketing prospects.

In the centre of the pitch, 16-year-old Abubakar Rasheed from the Hawks Academy and 15-year-old Eve O’Neill, a Southern Vipers Academy player, shared the honour of activating the ground’s new solar PV array in front of the two national sides and a sell-out crowd.

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Young cricket players Eve O’Neill and Abubakar Rasheed switched on the new solar panels (Image: Dave Vokes) O’Neill is part of the Southern Vipers Academy setup and plays club cricket for Calmore Sports, having progressed through the Hampshire age groups. She is a leg-spin bowler and made an appearance for Hampshire in this year’s Women’s T20 Finals Day.

After turning on the new solar panels, O’Neill said: “I’m so proud to be a part of this historic event and I’m so thankful to the club for all their support throughout my career so far.”

Rasheed was the other young star who took to the pitch for the big switch on, having embarked on a perilous three-year long journey to the UK in 2016, aged eight. He left Pakistan and travelled through Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Greece, having his application to enter the UK accepted by the government.

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He is now settled in the UK, having received support from the Hampshire Cricket Foundation. He first got into cricket when he attended Wicketz sessions in Southampton, before joining the award-winning Hawks Academy programme.

The 16-year-old been clocked bowling at 70mph which highlights his rapid development on the pitch.

Speaking on the pitch ahead of the IT20, he said: “The Hawks Academy has made a big impact on me and it’s amazing to see the venue investing in the future off the pitch as well.”

The solar switch-on is the first step in the venue’s mission to become the world’s greenest cricket stadium, with 1,044 panels now in place alongside six EV chargers at the Hilton Southampton – Utilita Bowl, all of which were installed this summer.