Cricket legend opens new nets at local club

Lindow Cricket Club welcomed former England captain and Ashes winner Michael Vaughan to Upcast Lane to officially open their new nets facility on Sunday, 15th May.

Lindow Cricket Club has raised the funds over the last 18 months to purchase the three lane nets which allows them to provide an all-weather training facility for their three senior and seven junior teams.

Money raised included a £42,000 grant from Sport England and additional support from Wilmslow Town Council, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Events kicked off in the morning with a junior match as Lindow's under 15s hosted Toft.

This was followed by the official opening during which David Kendrick, club chairman, and Adam Bull, club secretary, made speeches to a large crowd, thanking the club's volunteers and highlighting the impact the club is making in the local area. Additionally the club now has three weekend senior teams playing in the highest tier of cricket in Cheshire.

It was then over to the former England captain to cut the ribbon and declare the nets officially open.

Michael Vaughan, who was clearly impressed with the club's efforts, said "It's great to see a local club doing so much to try and bring the next generation of players through. The new facilities at Lindow will certainly be a huge benefit to all of their members and the number of people down supporting the event today highlights just how much the club is progressing."

The celebrations then continued with a match between current 'Lindow Legends' and former players 'Lindow All-Stars', whilst the crowd enjoyed a barbecue, music and bouncy castle.

Adam Bull, club secretary, said "We're delighted that so many people came to celebrate the nets opening and very thankful to Michael for giving up his time. Not only are the nets invaluable to support our growing membership, they are also a symbol of the great progress we've made as a club over recent years."