A grant of £2,000 from the Leicestershire Fund has helped the Market Harborough Cricket & Squash Club to replace their outdoor cricket nets, with a result that they now have some of the best in the county, allowing people of all ages to practice safely on artificial strips which help them in their batting and bowling.
Previously the net facilities were shorter in length and the actual surface was breaking up badly. The resulting risk of people getting hit by cricket balls from adjacent nets put some of the younger players off practicing, which meant their development suffered. Since installing the new nets, the club has gone from having one U13 hardball team in the Youth league, to having U11, U13 and U15 sides. The U13 and U15s have come equal first in their respective leagues showing how their technique has improved.
The number of junior players has increased from 60 to 90, and the excellent net facilities have attracted England Women’s team player, Lydia Greenaway, to run her girls academy at the club. This has raised the profile of Girls’ cricket and increased revenue to help the club maintain its programmes.
“From a coaching point of view, our new nets have allowed us to train our senior and junior teams alongside one another. This has given us the chance to fast track our development pathway for our age groups and give our better youngsters exposure to senior players in a training environment. With a high quality net surface, players can train effectively knowing they can trust the surface they are playing on and therefore get the most out of sessions.”
Market Harborough Cricket & Squash Club provide facilities for people in the Harborough District to participate in exercise, primarily Squash, Racketball (Squash 57) and cricket. They also hire out facilities at discount rates for other exercise groups – e.g. Pilates sessions, and the council run ‘Steady Step’ group for falls prevention and a new group for exercise for those with Diabetes and Obesity.
For information about setting up a fund or donating to one, please contact Katy Green on 0116 262 4804 or email: katy.green@llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk
