A LOTTERY grant of £67,000 has bowled 'em over at a Westhoughton cricket club. Members of the Daisy Hill Cricket, Sports and Social Club, were thrilled to learn they were awarded the grant for much-needed new changing rooms and facilities for disabled people. General committee member Phil Neale, who put the bid together, said: "I was gobsmacked.

"I got a phone call first thing this morning - to receive such good news like that is pretty nice."

The money comes from the Lottery Sports Fund, which today announced awards totalling £1.08 million in the North-west.

Daisy Hill Cricket Club has now got 90pc of the cash it needs for purpose-built facilities to replace temporary portacabins.

The club has spent 18 months working on its grant application. It had one bid rejected last May but submitted an improved application in September.

Mr Neale said: "The portacabins were falling into disrepair and we were having to patch them up every season.

"We also have a number of schools in the area who come to the club to play cricket and they couldn't use the portacabins.

"It is excellent news for the club and we hope to have the new changing rooms built by the start of the new season."

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