Derby has been selected as one of five locations to receive government funding to improve cricket facilities across the city and make cricket more accessible than ever before.
Coinciding with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup taking place across England and Wales, the Government has today announced a further £3m injection to open up access to year-round cricket in even more communities. This figure will be matched by the ECB.
A cricket dome will be built in Derby, in collaboration between Derbyshire County Cricket Club and the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation, providing high-class all-weather facilities year-round.
The dome will allow better year-round access to cricket for the whole community and will place an emphasis on continuing the surge in female participation, which has seen Derbyshire become one of the fastest growing counties in the women and girls’ game, through the continued work of the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation.
Domes will also be constructed in Nottingham, Birmingham, Newcastle and Bolton.
Further updates will be issued in due course.
Derbyshire Chief Executive, Ryan Duckett, said: “We welcome this news and are pleased our local community will have increased access to top-class facilities in our county.
“Participation numbers continue to increase across all aspects of the game with the women and girls game in particular seeing huge growth over the last few years, which is a testament to the work of the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation.
“We are in the early stages of planning, in collaboration with the Foundation and we are proud to be working closely with them on this project.”
Derbyshire Cricket Foundation Managing Director, Richard Wood, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see this investment coming into Derby. This new facility will be a game-changer for our community, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to play and enjoy cricket all year round.
“It strongly supports our mission to make cricket a game for everyone, removing barriers to participation and creating more inclusive opportunities across the city. It will be particularly important in building on the fantastic growth we’ve seen in the women and girls’ game, helping us to inspire the next generation of players.”