£1.2 million funding to improve cricket facilities at Bradford ground

Earlier this year, the Telegraph & Argus reported that a planning application for a new 10-bay cricket practice “dome” at Bradford Park Avenue cricket grounds had been approved.

And it has now been revealed that the project will get £1.2m funding from the England Cricket Board.

The new facilities will replace the existing practice nets and include artificial surfaces and nets along with a canopy to allow play to continue in all weathers.

It is expected the work will be completed by mid-summer.

Since the existing nets were opened in 2017, the ground has seen a huge number of cricketers using the facilities, with over 5,000 people using the nets in 2022.

The ground saw 164 games played on it out of a possible 178 days of cricket in the same year. This included the return of Yorkshire CCC’s professional squads to Park Avenue, with an intra-squad game played at the ground in March 2022 followed later in the season by a 2nd XI Championship game. The venue has also been a regular training-base for Northern Diamonds and Northern Superchargers.

Yaseen Mohammed, Chair of Park Avenue Bradford and Non-Executive Director of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “The number of people from our local communities that have used the existing nets since they were built is remarkable and this new development will allow so many cricketers to enjoy the game all-year round, without the weather intervening.

“Park Avenue is truly a community hub and this project will only enhance the offering that we have, and help to engage with even more cricketers from our surrounding areas.”

An artist's impression of the planned dome (Image: ECB)

As well as enhancements in facilities, Park Avenue Bradford will also be the new home of a Grounds Management pilot project following an ECB grant of £500,000. The project will be run by Park Avenue’s Head Grounds Manager Nasa Hussain and will support 30 cricket clubs and council facilities in Bradford, creating vocational and volunteer training opportunities for the local community.

The project will see improvements, including turf works and hybrid pitches, at all 30 identified clubs.

Mr Hussain said: “We are another step closer to returning Park Avenue to its former glory, to be a real cricketing hub in the area and welcome in players and teams from junior cricket, all the way up to international cricketers.”