Luton and Lancashire get government-sanctioned domes as ECB welcomes funding although it falls well short of the pledged amount.
Government funds £1.5million all-weather domes in Luton and Lancashire.
In order to build two new indoor, all-season cricket domes in Luton and Lancashire, the UK government has committed £1.5 million. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has praised the progress, but it falls well short of the £35 million that former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had pledged last summer.
In April 2024, it was announced that 16 domes would be built in England by 2029 as a tie-in to the 2026 and 2030 women’s and men’s T20 World Cups, respectively. The ECB appears to be content with not seeing anything close to that amount in the future, despite having previously funded a prototype dome in Bradford that is scheduled to open in 2023.
Following a change of government last summer, it appeared that Sunak’s promise would not come to pass. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said Sunak’s intentions were unrealistic when she announced these revised proposals last week at the Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire.
“Unfortunately, the announcement made by the last government was a fantasy,” Nandy told the BBC. “There was not a single penny of actual funding attached to it.
“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.”
In keeping with the governing body’s stated goals in its game-wide strategy, Inspiring Generations, which include “working in partnership with the Government to maximise the legacy of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup,” the ECB intends to advocate for further financing. The £400 million for grassroots sport announced at the Spending Review will help a variety of sports over the next four years, and this £1.5 million is on top of that amount.
Speaking on Monday’s announcement, 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.”