‘New cricket nets will improve safety of young players’

THE chairman of Goring Cricket Club said the new nets at the bowls club would improve the safety of players.

The club has about 300 members, mainly children, and a waiting list.

Jonny Russell said: “We currently have a 30-year-old open facility which is not big enough.

“In the last few years, we have wanted to explore replacing the nets and have had discussions with experts who said the best location for nets was a bowling green.

“The key element would be for new nets to be enclosed. At the moment, our open nets are a safety risk and can’t be used during matches as they can be dangerous to other players and the general public.

“If they were enclosed, they would double in length so we need to move to avoid taking up more of the ground’s space.

“We have got quotes on what's possible in the existing location but you can’t get three nets in, so it wouldn’t solve the issue of children on the waiting list.

“The increase in length would impact the usability of Gardiner for ourselves and the general public and I’d be be surprised if a direct replacement was approved at the planning stage as it wouldn’t be sympathetic to the area.

“We have children who start playing cricket at the age of five, so it is much safer for them to practise on the nets near the club than on their own down the other side of the field. We are keen to grow cricket for women, girls and disabled people and this would make it much more doable.

“Sometimes we practise until it gets dark and it isn’t great to walk 150 yards across the dark field. Having the nets closer to the pavilion would be more comforting for parents. It would also be closer to the changing rooms and help create a community hub.

“Proximity is important and it would be fantastic for us to have a nets facility in use eight or nine months of the year located next to the club pavilion.”

Mr Russell said the club would not require council funding for the nets and would let the public use them free when the club wasn’t using them.

He added: “We also want to do some really nice landscaping. On the side overlooking the recreation ground, we want to set up a seating area and make it really nice.”