Essex want to use the Olympic stadium as a 'festival ground' for Twenty20 matches
Essex confirmed on Thursday that they were considering a joint bid with West Ham and Newham Council to turn the stadium in Stratford into a multi-sport venue capable of staging football, cricket and athletics.
The club would continue to play County Championship matches at their Chelmsford headquarters but would use the stadium as a 'festival ground' for Twenty20 matches.
Related ArticlesUCI could put spoke in wheelsGB move to LoughboroughAyton's labour of loveAyton ends Olympics speculationSport on televisionSmith looking for Olympic boostDavid East, the Essex chief executive, said: "We are very much looking forward to exploring this with Newham and West Ham.
"Our home ground will remain at the Ford County Ground in Chelmsford but it would be fantastic to be able to play some of our expanded Twenty20 cricket tournament at the Olympic Stadium. We have a very active development programme in the east end of London and this would give us an ideal opportunity to extend our community work even further with a centre of excellence in the borough."
If a joint bid is considered feasible, it would have to be submitted to the Olympic Park Legacy Company, which has invited proposals for the stadium's use after the Games.
Karren Brady, the West Ham vice-chairman, said: "It's about realising the full potential of the Olympic Park. If achievable, it is the ideal answer for those who, rightly, demand a sustainable legacy from the 2012 Games and not a white elephant."
Meanwhile, National Lottery operator Camelot has launched a competition to find the 'Brain of the Games' to celebrate passing the £500 million mark in its money-raising campaign for London 2012. Olympic and Paralympic buffs will be able to test their knowledge in a free online quiz in which progressively more difficult questions must be answered against the clock. Those who complete the quiz in the fastest times will go forward to a national final.
Camelot says it is well on course to meet its target of raising £750 million from Olympic scratch cards and interactive games. The quiz is available online at www.national-lottery.co.uk/gamesbrain
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