International sport 'puts Taunton on the map'

Hosting international sporting contests is helping put a town "on the map" when it comes to encouraging investment, a business leader has said.

England's women will take on India at the County Ground in Taunton later in their final T20 match before the World Cup, with 6,000 ticket holders expected at the town-centre venue.

And whatever happens on the pitch, businesses in the town believe days like this are good news for them, with cricket fans spending their money inside and outside the stadium.

Bethan Turner, from the Taunton Chamber of Commerce, said: "It's such a local footfall driver, but [also] such a driver for inward investment."

Turner added international events where people are spending money puts "Taunton on the radar".

"It's really important - they want to see who else is investing in Taunton," she added.

Mattancherry, an Indian restaurant close to the cricket ground, will run a food truck close to the ground, as well as welcoming customers afterwards.

Manager Gopinath Dharmalingam said it was "good for business" to see these events in the town.

"It's a good marketing for us as well, to show people not from Taunton about our restaurant. It helps us."

Richard Brice, the chairman of Somerset County Cricket Club, said: "We would like to have more and more international cricket at the County Ground because it's important not only for cricket but also for the local community and for the West as a whole.

"I think the great thing now with the improved rail link to Taunton, people are coming in at bottom end of the town, they can see see what's going on and enjoy all the local businesses.

"The hotels I believe are very busy - people staying overnight to watch the game - so it brings a lot of business into the town."

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