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Government invests in state-of-the-art facilities in Luton
and Lancashire
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New indoor domes will grow game in areas of need and boost
women and girls' cricket ahead of 2026 Women's T20 World
Cup
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Investment is part of plan to provide new opportunities for
young people to get active and take part in sport through
Plan for Change
Cricket-loving communities in Luton and Lancashire will soon get
to play all year round, after the Government today announced
funding for the construction of two new indoor domes that will
keep the nation's summer sport thriving throughout the winter
months.
In its mission to break down barriers to participation up and
down the country, the Government is investing £1.5 million to
help the England and Wales Cricket Board build high-class
facilities in areas that are desperately lacking suitable places
to play.
The two state-of-the-art venues will make the most of cricket's
diverse reach, opening up sport to people of all backgrounds as
part of the 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.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, , 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.
“These domes will be places where cricket-lovers and newcomers
alike can come together to play, get active, make real-life
connections and chase sporting dreams.”
The Luton dome, due to open in early 2026, will give
underrepresented groups such as state schools much-needed access
to cricket, with the potential to offer other sports - such as
hockey, tennis and badminton - so that as many local people as
possible have the chance to get active.
Providing access for the whole community, the dome at Farington,
near Preston, will also become a focal point for women and girls'
cricket. It will host a pathway that runs from entry-level right
through to Lancashire's professional women's side, who will have
their permanent base at the site. It will also act as a hub for
disability cricket in the North-West and is due to open next
summer.
Culture Secretary made the announcement during a
visit to Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire, where she joined
local children taking part in the ECB's Dynamos cricket programme
and met England internationals Phil Salt and Sophie
Ecclestone.
With the Women's T20 World Cup to be held in England in less than
12 months' time, the Government and ECB are already working
together to secure the tournament's legacy.
The domes will help to smooth the road from grassroots to the top
of the game, so that boys and girls of all backgrounds can be
inspired by Lauren Bell's bowling brilliance in the Hundred, or
the heroics of Ben Stokes in the recent Test Matches against
India, and have a clear route to emulating their heroes.
The announcement also forms a pillar of the Government's wider
National Youth Strategy, which will be published this autumn to
make sure no child - no matter who they are, or where they live -
is left behind.
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.
“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. As we have seen in Bradford, centres like these
can have a hugely positive impact—bringing people together,
opening up opportunities, and inspiring the next
generation.
“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.”
England and Lancashire spinner Sophie Ecclestone said:
“It's fantastic that more people will get the chance to play
cricket thanks to these brilliant domes.
“Facilities like these can make a massive difference in local
communities and open cricket up to so many more people, and it
will be brilliant to see them in action next year.”
