Government pledges £1.5m for two new cricket domes

Although the government has pledged £1.5 million for two brand-new indoor sports domes in Luton and Lancashire, it is still uncertain whether grassroots cricket will receive the anticipated large funding.

Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister, promised to give cricket a $ 35 million gift last year in what was referred to as a “seminal moment” that might cause “generational change” in the sport.

The funding package “turbocharging” would improve the facilities for state school children, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Before 2029, the construction of 16 domes across England would make it possible to play local cricket all year long and in any kind of weather.

One million students from state schools were to be able to get cricket playing for a portion of the original pledge, which was allocated to three charities, ACE, Chance to Shine, and Lord’s Taverners.

These plans were put in serious danger as a result of the spending review’s government cuts, as BBC Sport reported in October.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that former tory leader Sunak’s original plan to revive cricket in state schools was unworkable at the announcement of the two new domes at a ceremony held at Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire.

She described the decision to provide cash for the two domes as a “significant step” in a time when “public finances are very very tight.”

“Unfortunately, the last government’s announcement was a fantasy,” she said. No penny of money was actually put into it, said Labour MP Nandy.

“So the announcement itself sounded like nothing at all.

Because we are aware of how important sport is, we are backing it. It alters people’s lives. There are opportunities that people would not otherwise have had.

It was “vital” to increase cricket participation in schools, according to Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston, and to provide local communities with world-class, all-year-round facilities.

Instead of being a part of this pledge, BBC Sport is aware that the 1.5 million pounds that will be used to build the two new domes are actually part of it.

The ECB and other sports governing bodies are currently discussing how the remaining £400 million will be spent, according to the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.

Lewsey Park will house the dome, which is expected to open in early 2026, in Luton, where 37% of the population is South Asian.

It will have seven lane facilities that will also house badminton, tennis, and hockey.

Farington, close to Preston, is scheduled to open its fifth-lane dome in Lancashire next summer.

The Lancashire County Cricket Club’s second ground, which will also serve as a hub for their age-group, women’s, and disability teams, is being built on the same site.

These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will transform the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year round and providing elite players with top-notch facilities.

They play a significant role in our efforts to eliminate barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.

With ECB funding, Bradford Park Avenue’s pilot dome project opened in the fall of 2023.

The facilities have been used by Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers teams in addition to community use.