MCC Foundation funds new cricket facility in Hatfield Peverel

Date released: 30 August 2005

The small village cricket club in Hatfield Peverel, located five miles outside Chelmsford, opened two new cricket nets on Wednesday 31st August. The cost of this new facility was part funded by a grant of £2,000 from the MCC Foundation. Opening the new nets and giving children coaching and advice on the evening were Essex County Cricket Club players Ashley Cowan, Will Jefferson and Andy Clarke (pictured right).

One of the aims of the MCC Foundation - a charitable organisation which receives donations from Marylebone Cricket Club - is to assist in the provision of facilities which will enable and encourage children to play cricket at clubs, schools and universities or other educational establishments in any part of the world.

Hatfield Peverel Cricket Club runs three colts sides at under-11s, under-13s and under-15s age groups. The club is also making the nets available to the local Hatfield Peverel primary school, which has no cricket playing facilities of its own.

Among MCC’s existing initiatives for encouraging youth cricket is the MCC Spirit of Cricket Challenge which, during the 2005 season, was responsible for introducing over 6,000 primary schoolchildren to the game, and which has previously been short-listed for an award from the Professional Cricketers’ Association.