ADLINGTON Cricket Club will go into the new season with £50,000 worth of new facilities.

Players can now hone their batting and bowling skills in new nets while the pitch has been improved by extensive drainage work.

The work has taken place in time for the new Bolton Association season, which gets underway later this month, and has been mostly paid for by a Government grant.

The three-bay synthetic practice nets will be a huge benefit to all the club's players, from first team down to the juniors.

The club is also delighted with the drainage work which will give the Meadow Street ground an improved surface from next season onwards. The grant has come from the Government's Community Club Development Programme, which has given £9.4million to the England and Wales Cricket Board which, in turn, directs the money to deserving cricket clubs looking to upgrade their facilities.

Adlington's efforts to gain a grant have been driven by treasurer, Liz Chamberlain, and began in 2003 when she went to see ECB officials in Loughborough to discuss a business plan.

The grant is valued at £54,730 and Adlington had to raise five per cent, £2,750 of it, themselves.

Mrs Chamberlain said: "It has taken a long time and a lot of effort but we are delighted with the result.

"We were delighted when we heard we had been awarded this grant.

"The groundstaff are absolutely delighted with the square and the new synthetic practice nets are excellent.

"We have over 90 junior players and this facility has enabled us to provide a structured coaching programme and we have increased participation.

"The synthetic pitches also provide good safe playing surfaces which are so important for the development of young cricketers.

"We are also pleased with the drainage project as this has meant an upgrade in our square and outfield resulting in improved playing conditions which will help us to raise playing standards.

"We are truly grateful to the ECB for their generous support as we could not afford these new facilities from our own resources, and we regard the grant as an investment in cricket at the club for the future.

"I would like to thank Lancashire Cricket Board Cricket Development Manager, Paul Bryson, who gave us a helping hand with the business plan and guided us through it."