The government has watered down its predecessor’s pledge of a £35m investment to build grassroots cricket facilities and widen access for state school pupils after describing the previous regime’s announcement as a “fantasy”.
Under an alternative plan announced on Monday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has given £1.5m to the England and Wales Cricket Board to build two indoor domes in Luton and Preston, but it is understood that the rest of the money may not materialise.
The former prime minister Rishi Sunak had announced a £35m package for 22 purpose-built cricket domes at a launch event at the Oval before the general election last year, along with further plans to expand the scheme to 40 or more.
Intense lobbying efforts since Labour was elected last summer have resulted in sufficient funds to build two domes, which provide all-year-round, all-weather practice and match-play facilities in a covered environment at an affordable price.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said: “Unfortunately the announcement made by the last government was a fantasy. There was not a single penny of actual funding attached to it. We are backing sport because we know how much it matters. It changes people’s lives.”
Despite no commitment from Labour for further funding, the ECB plans to continue pushing for additional money next year to coincide with England’s staging of the Women’s T20 World Cup, the final of which will be held at Lord’s for the first time. The ECB chair, Richard Thompson, welcomed the initial investment and expressed hope that more would follow to ensure a legacy of more widespread and diverse participation follows the World Cup.
“We are pleased to secure government support for these incredible community facilities, which we hope will provide a vital proof point of what can be achieved, and look forward to future collaboration,” Thompson said.
“As we look ahead to hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, building on that success by rolling out more domes in communities across England and Wales will be key to creating a genuine and lasting legacy from the tournament.
“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 ECB’s target is to get an extra 900,000 young people playing cricket by 2029, with the domes an integral part of its Plan for Change as they are to be built in urban areas targeting children who do not play cricket at school, many from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds. The domes have been designed by the ECB in collaboration with Total-play, a cricket facility specialist.
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Luton and Preston have been chosen for the domes, which are due to open next year, as they will provide easy access for hard‑to‑reach social groups.
The ECB estimates that adding another 20 domes in the future could ensure the scheme reaches 4m children who don’t play cricket. If more funding is secured the ECB would seek to build domes in cities staging games at the World Cup next year – Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Southampton, Bristol and London.
“The greatest example of social cohesion is when you see white working-class lads playing with Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, it cuts through the divides in an extraordinary way,” Thompson said. “This isn’t so much about sport. This is about society and where sport can solve some of society’s ills.”
The announcement on Monday is part of the government’s wider National Youth Strategy, which will be published this autumn.
