Great Gaddesden Cricket Club – Practice net refurbishment 2018
GGCC’s cricket net practice facilities were ageing and required significant investment in terms of both time and funding to make them fit-for-purpose again. The project carried out has refurbished and developed these ageing training facilities and made them safe and better for players of all ages to use. Our existing two practice nets have been extended to allow them to be used safely simultaneously, as previously it was possible for bowlers in one net to be hit by cricket balls emerging from the adjacent practice net. This effectively limited the club to the safe use of only one practise net only at any given time and thus restricted the opportunities of those wishing to use them.
The project has required groundworks to extend the existing concrete practice area, new frames to be erected to provide support for the longer nets, new replacement netting and new ground mats for the surface. In addition the club has purchased shorter legs for the bowling machine and lighter practice balls to enable junior members to enjoy using these facilities as well (see final photographs).
The project was carried out in the first half of 2018, with the support of some external funding and also a huge amount of internal effort from members of the club in the form of the labour that they contributed. The following photographs show some of the steps of the project throughout its course.
Before: January 2018
During: February to June 2018
First trial usage: early July 2018
Finished: mid July
This project was carried out with support from:
- London Luton Airport Ltd Near-Neighbours via Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation;
- Dacorum Council - Community Grant
- Members of GGCC