TWO big grants have given Shobrooke Park Cricket Club new nets and new covers, both much overdue for replacement.

The club received £11,000 from Viridor Credits which meant the two-bay practise nets could be fully refurbished with the addition of a new bowling machine.

This was with funding via the Landfill Communities Fund. This grant is open to all users within a 10 mile radius of a Viridor site for community-based initiatives of any description, not necessarily sporting, as you will see on the Viridor Credits website. This gives full guidance on application and eligibility available to all.

A further grant of £4,000 from Waitrose with the English Cricket Board paid for new cricket covers.

Club chairman Pete Turner said the new nets replaced ones that had been bought second-hand from Sandford Cricket Club around 10 years ago.

The covers replaced those bought from Exmouth Cricket Club several years ago.

Pete said: “We have this wonderful setting and ground. Now we have the facilities to match.

“We built an extension to the clubhouse, finishing it five years ago, but we did not have the funds to do all this work.

“Thanks to these two grants we now have these amazing facilities as well, which will enable players to practise on a wonderful playing surface whist hopefully improving all players’ abilities and the other grant to hopefully ensure that every effort is made to get the game on for players.”

The premises can be hired for cricket matches, as can the nets for practise facilities.

The ground is open for birthday/wedding parties and anyone interested should contact Shobrooke Park Cricket Club by email: [email protected] .

“Sorting out our website is probably the next thing to do to make it more user friendly,” said Pete.

The club celebrated 125 years last year, runs two teams on a Saturday and one on a Sunday, with mid-week friendlies and a T20 team in the Exeter evening league.

The Club is always looking for new members and anyone interested would be made most welcome at the Thursday evening net session, or contact Pete Turner on the email listed.

Shobrooke is possibly one of only two thatched pavilions in Devon, the other being at Sidmouth. In a corner of Shobrooke Park, the club’s position is ideal for families because those less interested in cricket can wander the permitted parts of the park and enjoy the views or watch the wildlife on the lake.

Sue Read