CHAIRMAN John Ridout wants Wimborne & Colehill’s history-making Minor Counties T20 double-header to help fully bring back cricket to the heart of the county.

The Minstermen’s Leaze headquarters will host the first senior county fixtures in its history on Sunday when Dorset welcome Wales (11am and 2.30pm).

Dorset in 2016 staged games outside of the county for the first time in their history after being forced to leave Dean Park.

They have used the likes of Bashley and North Perrott to arrange showcase fixtures against Hampshire and Somerset.

Wimborne chief Ridout, who joined the club in May 1970, has been part of the committee working with the county club to become a host venue.

Speaking ahead of the historic occasion, the chairman told the Daily Echo: “It’s very much a first step for the new relationship between Minor Counties and the club and we will learn and grow from it.

“You would love to have all of the Minor Counties cricket played in the county. That would be a great aspiration but the clubs also have to do something to improve their facilities and we are moving towards it.

“I would hope in a few years’ time that all of the cricket comes back to Dorset and that we have improved pitches, playing conditions, upgraded coaching and the players play in Dorset.

“That is an aspiration, it won’t happen overnight but we have to work towards it and I am really pleased they have come back to Wimborne. It’s the start not the finish.

“If you aim for excellence you are going to get somewhere close and, as a club, that’s what we are looking to do.

“It’s a club for the community but we want to involve Minor Counties, age-group cricket and build our club base around excellent facilities.”

Wimborne’s former Hanhams headquarters hosted 11 Minor Counties Championship fixtures between 1957 and 1979.

The club staged its first Dorset Premier League fixture at the Leaze in 2010.

“There is a whole generation which hasn’t seen Minor Counties cricket in Wimborne,” added Ridout.

“I am sure the pitch we now have at the Leaze is of a higher standard than it was when they last played Minor Counties cricket.

“We want people to come and see what the club has and what the county has. We have spent a lot of money to bring the ground up to that standard.

“We have one day now, let’s get some more games and see if we can get up to three-day games.

“If you can host a three-day game it means your pitch is in pretty good condition and everybody that plays on it benefits.”

Dorset have won three of their four T20 contests this season.

They recorded a clean sweep of victories over Wiltshire in a double-header at Bashley before a win and a loss against Devon at Sidmouth.