Two Glamorgan County Cricket Club players held coaching sessions for some of the young players at Sudbrook CC during a special evening at the club.
The event marked the opening of a new artificial net complex and the club's Junior School Cricket Tournament.
As well as Glamorgan's Kieran Bull and Dewi Penrhyn Jones, those attending included representatives of Cricket Wales, Sport Wales and Monmouthshire County Council.
Sudbrook Cricket Club's youth organiser, Rob Lewis, said: It was a long application process but we were delighted to receive the grant award from the England and Wales Cricket Trust and the support from Monmouthshire County Council as we urgently needed to up-grade our practice facilities. The new synthetic practice area is high quality to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) specifications. This season we shall be able to have a more structured coaching programme through our ECB qualified coaches, from which all age groups will benefit.
We consider ourselves most fortunate to raise the funding for such an expensive project especially in view of the difficult economic climate and we are extremely grateful to Tim Nicholls of the England and Wales Cricket Board and to Mike Moran of Monmouthshire County Council, also for the help the club received from Steve Watkins, our regional cricket development officer at Cricket Wakes.
We obviously couldn't afford this project from our own resources and we regard the grants as an investment in cricket at the club for the future, and the local community will also benefit in the long term.
Peter Hybart, chief executive of Cricket Wales said: I am particularly impressed at the work the club undertakes with children and young people, and the new cricket nets now provide these youngsters with a safe, enclosed area which is an ideal environment for them to be able to develop their skills.
Having high quality cricket facilities accessible to the community will be key to sustaining participation in grassroots cricket over the coming years, and I know that now these nets are in place they will be used as an investment in cricket for the future and for the benefit of the local community. This new facility will help enhance Sudbrook Cricket Club's reputation as a club of strategic and developmental importance at grassroots cricket, and will be of huge benefit to all those using the club.
Club Chairman, Clive Cullinane, said: We are incredibly pleased to have been awarded these grants and have the facility available for the season. This will bring our practice facilities bang up to date and will provide our members and the community with a quality facility in which to develop and practice their skills. We have already seen an increase in interest and membership and could now field a third team.
Durand Road School won the schools tournament and progressed to the next round to be held at Usk CC.
Any boys and girls wishing to learn to play cricket can come along to the Sudbrook CC's Kwik Cricket sessions held throughout the summer on Fridays at 6.30 to 8pm. Further details can be obtained from Gordon Voke on 07768 095537.
Cricket Wales is the national governing body for junior and recreational senior cricket in Wales. It works closely with Glamorgan County Cricket Club, which governs the men's professional game. For information visit www.cricketwales.org.uk