Government funds £1.5million all-weather domes in Luton and Lancashire

The UK government has pledged £1.5million for the construction of two new indoor, all-season cricket domes in Luton and Lancashire. But while the development has been welcomed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), it is significantly less than the £35million promised last summer by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak.

That announcement, in April 2024, mooted the construction of 16 domes across England by 2029, as a tie-in to the women's and men's T20 World Cups in 2026 and 2030, respectively. The ECB has already funded a prototype dome in Bradford (open in 2023), and now seem resigned to not seeing anywhere near that figure going forward.

Sunak's promise looked set not to materialise after a change of government last summer. Speaking at the announcement of these amended plans last week at Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire, culture secretary Lisa Nandy stated Sunak's plans were not grounded in reality.

"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."

The ECB plan to push for further funding, in line with the governing body's stated aims in their game-wide strategy, Inspiring Generations, which involve "working in partnership with the Government to maximise the legacy of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup". This £1.5million is in addition to the £400million for grassroots sport that was announced at the Spending Review, which will benefit a wide range of sports over the next four years.

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."

The two state-of-the-art domes will be focused on opening cricket up to a broader, more diverse audience as part of the "Plan for Change" initiative to get more young people active and participating in sport. The announcement is the latest step in the govenment's new National Youth Strategy, which will be published in the autumn.