Marston's say cheers to safe drinking

Marston's, the brewer of Marston's Smooth - the official beer of the Twenty20 Cup, has now made it safer to enjoy the perfect beer while taking in some dynamic 20-over action.

The company has just launched its popular beer Marston's Smooth in a brand new plastic bottle exclusively for in-ground enjoyment at Twenty20 Cup matches and other outdoor events.

The extra cold beer will still be available on draught at the bar for ale aficionados, but the handy bottled version means spectators won't have to miss a moment of the dynamic new breed of cricket - an important consideration for the three-hour Cup matches.

Marston's Beer Company marketing director Peter Jackson said: "Smooth is the official beer of the Twenty20 Cup - and so it was important for us, as uncompromising supporters of the game, to be able to provide lovers of the new safe cricket format fresh ways to enjoy our beer.

"It will also help us to ensure our in-ground 'Drink Within Your Boundaries' campaign in conjunction with the ECB is a success, making it easier for supporters to enjoy some first class cricket as well as some first class beer."

The campaign will run in conjunction with the ECB's One Game and Crowd Management initiatives at Twenty20 Cup matches.

ECB head of venue partnerships Gordon Hollins said: "We have worked hard with all Twenty20 Cup venues and Marston's to ensure that the crowd management measures introduced this year make a real difference to spectators.

"The ethos of our One Game campaign, to welcome, respect and embrace the unique nature of cricket is essential to preserve the long-term health of the Twenty20 Cup and we are delighted that Marston's have adopted this in their ‘Drink Within Your Boundaries’ campaign."

The Twenty20 Cup 2008 begins tomorrow with the finals day at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire, on Saturday June 26.