Lancashire cricket dome plan gets cash boost

The first cricket dome in England was in Bradford

Lancashire Cricket Club's newest ground will receive a share of a £1.5m grant to build two year-round domes.

The county's newest facility at Farington, near Preston, will be a place "where cricket-lovers and newcomers alike can come together to play, get active, make real-life connections and chase sporting dreams," Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.

England's first indoor dome opened two years ago at the Park Avenue ground in Bradford.

The domes are part of a drive by the England and Wales Cricket Board to build high-class facilities in areas that are desperately lacking suitable places to play.

ECB said it wanted to open up the sport to people of all backgrounds as part of its Plan for Change.

A third of all recreational players in England and Wales are of South Asian descent, while participation among women and girls rose by more than a fifth in 2024 alone.

Lancashire's second home near Preston is due to host matches next season

Nandy said: "Cricket has a remarkable power to inspire and unite communities all over the world and today we are making sure that more people of all backgrounds have the chance to experience the game."

The aim is for the Farington facility to "become a focal point for women and girls' cricket".

The whole Farington cricket facility will become Lancashire Cricket's second home after Emirates Old Trafford, and will also serve as a North West Centre of Excellence for the women's game.

It is also hoped the dome, due to open next summer, will become a base for the disabled game.