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32 minutes ago
The government has pledged £1.5m for two new indoor sport domes in Luton and Lancashire – but hopes of grassroots cricket receiving an anticipated huge cash injection remain in doubt.
Last year, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised £35m to cricket in what was called a “seminal moment” that could lead to “generational change” within the sport.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) envisaged the funding package “turbocharging” an improvement in facilities in towns and cities for state school children.
Central to that plan was the construction of 16 domes across England before 2029, which would enable local cricket to be played all year round and in any weather.
A £14m proportion of the original pledge was to be divided between three charities – ACE, Chance to Shine and Lord’s Taverners – with the target of getting one million pupils from state schools playing cricket.
As reported by BBC Sport last October, those plans were left severely under threat amid government cuts as part of the Spending Review.
At the announcement of the two new domes, during an event at Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that former Conservative leader Sunak’s original package to help revive cricket in state schools was unrealistic.
She said the decision to provide cash for the two domes was a “significant step” at a time when “public finances are very very tight”.
“Unfortunately, the announcement made by the last government was a fantasy. There was not a single penny of funding actually attached to it,” explained Labour MP Nandy.
“So the announcement in itself equated to absolutely nothing at all.
“We are backing sport because we know how much it matters. It changes people’s lives. It opens up opportunities that people would never have had otherwise.”
Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said it was “vital” to “widen cricket participation in schools” and “provide world-class, all-year-round facilities for local communities”.
He added: “At a time when there is uncertainty over the government’s commitment to sports funding, including the future of cricket fund, my Conservative colleagues and I will continue to champion this cause.”
‘They will be transformative for the communities’ – ECB
Earlier this year, the government promised £400m for grassroots sport on top of £100m currently being invested in grassroots facilities during the current year.
BBC Sport understands the £1.5m funding for the two new domes is in addition to this pledge, rather than part of it.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is currently in discussions with sports governing bodies – including the ECB – over how the rest of the £400m is spent.
The dome in Luton, where 37% of the population are South Asian, will be in Lewsey Park and is scheduled to open in early 2026.
It will be a seven-lane facility which will also be used for hockey, tennis and badminton.
A five-lane dome in Lancashire will be built at Farington, near Preston, and is expected to open next summer.
It will be on the same site as a second ground being developed by Lancashire County Cricket Club, which will also be a hub for their age-group, women’s and disability teams.
ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will be transformative for the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year round and providing top-class facilities for elite players too.
“They are an important part of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.”
The pilot dome project, at Bradford Park Avenue, was built with ECB funds and opened in autumn 2023.
In addition to use by the community, the facilities have been used by Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers teams.
Another two domes part-funded by the ECB in Walsall and Darwen, in Lancashire, are also in development.
