Welcome back to the Matchside weekly roundup!
Domestic football is all but done now and we’re firmly into the cricket and tennis summer season, with a few other absolute gems sprinkled throughout the next couple of months. I hope you all got out to see a game in the sun over the weekend, we’ve got a bunch more coming up 😎
🔥 This week’s top picks:
1. 🎯 Premier League Darts Play-Offs at The O2 on Thursday — four of the best darts players in the world competing to be crowned Premier League champion. Pure darting theatre as always.
2. 🏏 Middlesex vs Hampshire Hawks at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood on Sunday — a truly intimate out-ground T20 experience, think deck chairs by the boundary rope of a club ground. One of the best ways to watch cricket in London.
3. 🎾 Queen's Club Championships, from 8th June — like a mini Wimbledon in West London. A couple of weeks away but worth sorting now as most days are already sold out.
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👀 What’s on this week 👀
🎱 The UK Open Pool Championship at the Brentwood Centre in Essex (on the Elizabeth line!) kicked off yesterday and runs until Sunday 31st May. If you've never watched live pool, this is the one to start with. The UK Open draws some of the world's best 9-ball and 8-ball players, with tickets starting from only £11.
Thursday 28th May
1. 🎯 Premier League Darts Play-Offs (doors 6pm)
📍 The O2 | Tickets from £43
The culmination of a 17-week season with the top four players battling it out in semi-finals and a final to be crowned Premier League champion.
Saturday 30th May
1. 🏉 Men's PREM London Derby: Saracens vs Harlequins (1pm)
📍 StoneX Stadium | Tickets from £36
2. 🏉 Rugby League: Challenge Cup Finals Day (from 11.45am)
📍 Wembley Stadium | Tickets from £25
Women’s final: St Helens vs Wigan Warriors at 11.45am.
Men’s final: Hull KR vs Wigan Warriors at 3pm.
3. 🏉 Women's Premiership Rugby: Harlequins vs Leicester Tigers (2.30pm)
📍 Twickenham Stoop | Tickets £15
Sunday 31st May
1. ⚽️ Women’s FA Cup Final: Brighton vs Man City (3pm)
📍 Wembley | Tickets from £20
2. 🏏 Vitality Blast T20 Cricket
Middlesex vs Hampshire Hawks at Merchant Taylors' School (Northwood), 2.30pm (tickets £24).
Surrey double header at Kia Oval, with the women vs Somerset at 12.15pm and the men vs Kent at 4.30pm (tickets from £31).
Over the next 2 weeks but worth booking now
1. 🏏 Men’s Cricket: England vs New Zealand 1st Test (4th–8th June)
📍 Lord’s | Tickets from £95
There are a few resale tickets available for days 1-3 so snap them up while you still can.
2. 🏇 Polo In The Park (5th–7th June)
📍 Hurlingham Park, Fulham | Tickets from £45
Arguably the most accessible polo event in the UK, and it takes place in the heart of London. Polo In The Park is all about entertainment — they tweak the rules to make the game faster and to bring the spectators closer to the action so if you’re looking for a unique experience, this is the one to go to!
3. 🎾 Queen's Club Championships (8th-21st June)
📍 Queen’s Club, West Kensington | Tickets from £20
The men’s tickets in week two have already sold out but there are a few remaining for the women’s WTA 500 event in the first week.
If you fancy a day trip from London, there are a few other grass court tennis Opens in the UK coming up ahead of Wimbledon:
Chestertons Polo In The Park
🤝 Matchside Community 🤝
Notts County Reach League One
Matchside subscribers Tom, Jack and Cal made the trip to Wembley on Monday for the League Two Playoff Final between Notts County and Salford City, with County taking a comfortable 3-0 win. They sent in the photo below 📸
Notts County at Wembley
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That’s your week of sport sorted.
Thanks for reading! If you go to something, let me know — I read every reply.
Louis