Ben Stokes-backed Sixes knocked into administration
Sixes, the experiential sports bar chain backed by England cricket captain Ben Stokes, has fallen into administration after a ‘challenging trading period’.
The competitive socialising brand founded in 2020 offers a game simulator that sees guests face bowling machines set within a batting cage, allowing them to hit the ball and attempt to score as many runs as possible.
The chain is backed in part by 4Cast, an investment group founded by Stokes and current and former England bowlers Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, plus former player turned agent Mike Turns.
On 17 December 2025, the company filed a notice of administrator’s appointment on Companies House, with Tony Wright and Alastair Massey of corporate finance company FRP Advisory appointed join administrators.
The company, which operates 16 venues across England including locations in Manchester, Oxford, Bournemouth, Bristol, and a number of sites in London, has since closed its Southampton branch with immediate effect, with three members of staff losing their jobs.
The remaining venues and franchises remain open and all bookings were honoured through the festive period.
A spokesperson for Sussex County Cricket Club, where the company’s Hove venue is based, said its Sixes branch will continue to operate as normal: “Following the announcement that Sixes Cricket Limited has been placed into administration, we want to reassure our customers that Sixes at Sussex remains open for business.”
Wright noted that Sixes has “built a strong brand in the social entertainment space with its unique venues proving very popular with customers,” and that while some locations have struggled in an increasingly competitive market, with consumer spending down, “the business has significant potential, and we’re encouraged by the early interest we’ve received from parties interested in acquiring the brand and its strongest-performing sites.
“We’re confident that with the right investment and focus, Sixes can build on its core strengths,” he added.
Sixes is the latest in a long line of UK on-trade venues that is facing closures, following the government’s hike on business rates, which are expected to jump by 76% in the next three years.
In addition, venues are facing higher minimum wage and National Insurance contribution outputs, which has lead to job losses.
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