British Indian minister Lisa Nandy announces new cricket domes for boosting women's game

London, Aug 26 (PTI) British Indian sports minister Lisa Nandy has announced new government funding for building state-of-the-art cricket domes as indoor venues to help boost the women and girls' game in the UK ahead of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup.

An investment of 1.5 million pounds is being provided to help the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) build high-class facilities in areas that are desperately lacking suitable places to play, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said on Monday.

Luton in eastern England and Lancashire in the north will be among the first areas to get the domes, allowing cricket enthusiasts to play the sport all year round.

"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," said Nandy, DCMS Secretary of State.

"These domes will be placed where cricket-lovers and newcomers alike can come together to play, get active, make real-life connections and chase sporting dreams," she said.

According to DCMS data, a third of all recreational players in England and Wales are of South Asian descent, with participation among women and girls rising by more than a fifth last year.

The government has tied up with the ECB to ensure a lasting legacy of the Women's T20 World Cup, to be held in England in less than 12 months' time.

"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," said ECB Chair Richard Thompson.

"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," he said.

Nandy made the dome announcement during a visit to Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire, where she joined local children taking part in the ECB's Dynamos cricket programme teaching young kids the basics of the sport and met England international players Phil Salt and Sophie Ecclestone.

"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," said England and Lancashire spinner Ecclestone.

The Luton dome, due to open in early 2026, is expected to give under-represented groups such as state schools much-needed access to cricket, with the potential to also include other sports such as hockey, tennis and badminton.

The second dome planned at Farington near Preston in Lancashire, by next summer, is also designed as 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 and act as a hub for disability cricket in North-West England, DCMS said.

It is hoped the sporting domes will help smooth the road from grassroots to the top of the game, so that boys and girls of all backgrounds have a clear route to emulating their heroes.

The DCMS announcement this week falls under the British government's new National Youth Strategy, to be published in the coming months in support of the country's young people across communities. PTI AK AH AH