External funding brings cricket pitch improvements

Investment from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and KP Snacks has enabled a refurbishment of Slough’s artificial cricket wickets and the installation of a new one.

The external funding of £82,676 is a mix of the investment in refurbishing the cricket pitches, and future specialist maintenance of the wickets for the next five years.

The council’s leisure team applied for the funding last autumn and worked with the contractors and the council’s parks team, alongside The ECB and KP Snacks - who have their UK Headquarters in Slough, to complete the project.

Works involved the removal of old materials and laying new artificial wicket surfaces at Salt Hill Park, Lascelles Park, Mercian Way, Upton Lea Recreation Ground, Godolphin Recreation Ground, and a completely new pitch installation at Harvey Park.

A celebratory launch event is being held on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May, from 10am-3.30pm. The council and Berkshire Cricket will host a Tape ball cricket event at Lascelles Park, where there are two pitches.

Families are welcome to come along and watch the six-a-side games (with pre-arranged teams) throughout the day, and children are welcome to join in casual cricket skills sessions with Berkshire Cricket coaches, where they can try drills, games, batting, and bowling. These sessions will be held on the hour, at 11am, 12noon, 1pm and 2pm.

Jardine Finn, the council’s Strategic Physical Activity, Sport and Health Integration Officer, said: “I want to thank the ECB and KP Snacks for this amazing investment in Slough and for the ongoing maintenance. It has really brought our cricket pitches up to a great standard and will encourage people into our parks to play sport.

“With the Women's T20 World Cup starting in June, it’s the perfect opportunity for more girls and young women to be inspired to try the sport. There are lots of local opportunities through Berkshire Cricket, so I would encourage everyone to find out more.”

Ben Bradley, Head of Commercial Partnerships at the England and Wales Cricket Board, said: “We’re delighted to support these improved facilities in Slough, which will provide more opportunities for local communities to get involved in cricket. High-quality, accessible places to play are vital to inspiring the next generation and ensuring the game is open to everyone.

“This project is part of our ongoing partnership with KP Snacks through the Everyone In programme, which is helping to transform community facilities and break down barriers to participation across the country. We hope these pitches will become a real hub for the community, encouraging more people – particularly those who may not have considered cricket before – to pick up a bat and ball and enjoy the game.”

Kevin McNair, Marketing Director, KP Snacks said: “We’re delighted that seven Everyone In pitches have been installed in our home town of Slough, helping to create more accessible, high-quality spaces for people to get active and enjoy cricket.

“This latest investment means we’ve now supported 119 ‘Everyone In’ pitches across the UK, exceeding our original target of 100 and taking another important step towards our ambition of creating more than one million opportunities for people to be active by 2033.

“We’re proud to work in partnership with the ECB and Slough Borough Council to bring these facilities to life for the local community.”

Berkshire Cricket will be leading sessions on the day. They offer Street Cricket activities across Slough, with some sessions for girls only. Find out more about these sessions.

Residents are encouraged to walk, cycle, or take public transport if possible.

Parking for the event will be at Upton Court Park, where you must activate the three-hour free parking period via the RingGo app or by calling the phone number on the park signs.

The pitches are now all ready for action and available to book, with players required to bring their own wickets.

To find pitch locations, hire charges, and to book a pitch, visit Pitches for hire.

Find more KP Snacks Everyone In Pitches across the country.