Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a significant £35 million funding initiative to enhance grassroots cricket and expand the sport’s accessibility among state school students. This investment is set to facilitate the construction of 16 new urban all-weather cricket domes across England.
The funding aims to enable more than 900,000 youngsters to engage in cricket over the next five years, coinciding with prestigious events like the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the 2030 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and the historic return of cricket to the Olympic Games after more than a century.
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This initiative includes a significant capital program for establishing 16 advanced all-weather cricket domes in host cities throughout England, designed to promote year-round cricket participation by linking school, community, and talent development programs.
Targeted at diverse communities with historically low physical activity levels, these domes follow the inauguration of the first cricket dome in Bradford the previous year. The initiative also extends the ECB and Chance to Shine’s cricket programs in schools, focusing on children from less affluent backgrounds, ensuring that schoolchildren in inner-city areas of the 16 World Cup host cities have access to cricket.
Additional funds will support the Lord’s Taverners charity in offering cricket opportunities to 80,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The investment is anticipated to distribute approximately 2,500 new equipment to schools participating in these programs, aiming to get 930,000 students playing cricket in the next five years.
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Moreover, the ACE Programme will receive extra funding to aid its mission in re-engaging the Black community with cricket.
Prime Minister Sunak reflected on his childhood cricket experiences in Southampton, emphasizing the game’s enduring appeal and its potential for further growth across diverse backgrounds and regions. He praised the efforts of organizations like ACE and Chance to Shine in making cricket more inclusive and accessible.
ECB Chairman Richard Thompson welcomed the government’s investment, viewing it as a pivotal moment for making cricket the most inclusive sport in the country by introducing it to children from all backgrounds from an early age.
England’s veteran fast bowler James Anderson, recognizing state school students’ challenges in accessing cricket, expressed his support for the initiative’s focus on state and SEND schools.
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Chance to Shine CEO Laura Cordingley and Lord’s Taverners CEO Mark Curtin highlighted cricket’s transformative impact on young people, including those with disabilities, in building confidence, resilience, and social skills.
ACE Director of Programmes Chevy Green welcomed the government funding, which will aid in expanding ACE’s national program support and enrich the cricketing development of its players, emphasizing cricket’s role in players’ mental, physical, tactical, and social growth.
