Government pledges £1.5m for two new cricket domes

The authorities has pledged £1.5m for 2 caller indoor athletics domes successful Luton and Lancashire - but hopes of grassroots cricket receiving an anticipated immense rate injection stay successful doubt.

Last year, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised £35m to cricket successful what was called a "seminal moment" that could lead to "generational change" wrong nan sport.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) envisaged nan backing package "turbocharging" an betterment successful accommodation successful towns and cities for authorities schoolhouse children.

Central to that scheme was nan building of 16 domes crossed England earlier 2029, which would alteration section cricket to beryllium played each twelvemonth information and successful immoderate weather.

A £14m proportionality of nan original promise was to beryllium divided betwixt 3 charities - ACE, Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners - pinch nan target of getting 1 cardinal pupils from authorities schools playing cricket.

As reported by BBC Sport past October, those plans were near severely nether threat amid authorities cuts arsenic portion of nan Spending Review.

At nan announcement of nan 2 caller domes, during an arena astatine Leyland Cricket Club successful Lancashire, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told nan BBC that erstwhile Conservative leader Sunak's original package to thief revive cricket successful authorities schools was unrealistic.

She said nan determination to supply rate for nan 2 domes was a "significant step" astatine a clip erstwhile "public finances are very very tight".

"Unfortunately, nan announcement made by nan past authorities was a fantasy. There was not a azygous penny of backing really attached to it," explained Labour MP Nandy.

"So nan announcement successful itself equated to perfectly thing astatine all.

"We are backing athletics because we cognize really overmuch it matters. It changes people's lives. It opens up opportunities that group would ne'er person had otherwise."

Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said it was "vital" to "widen cricket information successful schools" and "provide world-class, all-year-round accommodation for section communities".

He added: "At a clip erstwhile location is uncertainty complete nan government's committedness to sports funding, including nan early of cricket fund, my Conservative colleagues and I will proceed to champion this cause."

Earlier this year, nan authorities promised £400m for grassroots sport connected apical of £100m presently being invested successful grassroots accommodation during nan existent year.

BBC Sport understands nan £1.5m backing for nan 2 caller domes is successful summation to this pledge, alternatively than portion of it.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is presently successful discussions pinch sports governing bodies - including nan ECB - complete really nan remainder of nan £400m is spent.

The dome successful Luton, wherever 37% of nan organization are South Asian, external, will beryllium successful Lewsey Park and is scheduled to unfastened successful early 2026.

It will beryllium a seven-lane installation which will besides beryllium utilized for hockey, tennis and badminton.

A five-lane dome successful Lancashire will beryllium built astatine Farington, adjacent Preston, and is expected to unfastened adjacent summer.

It will beryllium connected nan aforesaid tract arsenic a 2nd crushed being developed by Lancashire County Cricket Club, which will besides beryllium a hub for their age-group, women's and disablement teams.

ECB chair Richard Thompson said: "These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will beryllium transformative for nan communities they serve, opening up cricket to much group twelvemonth information and providing top-class accommodation for elite players too.

"They are an important portion of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket nan astir inclusive squad sport."

The aviator dome project, astatine Bradford Park Avenue, was built pinch ECB costs and opened successful autumn 2023.

In summation to usage by nan community, nan accommodation person been utilized by Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers teams.

Another 2 domes part-funded by nan ECB successful Walsall and Darwen, successful Lancashire, are besides successful development.