New state-of-the-art cricket nets have been unveiled at Alton Cricket Club at its Jubilee Ground home.
 
The superb new facility has cost more than £55,000 and will provide a first-class practice area for hundreds of young cricketers from Alton CC and local schools.

After more than two years of planning and preparation by the Town Council and the cricket club, building has been completed and the nets are ready to go.
 
Alton Town Council recommended the release of £20,000 of developers’
contributions to help complete the project, while The England and Wales Cricket Board grant aid scheme also committed significant funding to the project.
 
Additionally, The Veolia Environmental Trust awarded Alton £5,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).

The nets were built by Newbury-based firm S&C Slatter and comprise four batting lanes and bowling ends and an all-weather multi-purpose training area, all fully housed in a wire-mesh enclosure. 
 
In 2005 the club was handed the prestigious Clubmark award for its commitment to youth development and child safety.
 
Moreover, last year Alton were one of only two Hampshire clubs selected to take part in the Chance to Shine (C2S) project, an innovative Cricket Foundation initiative aimed at to taking cricket into schools.
 
Ten local primary and secondary schools signed up to the scheme which saw Alton CC coaching staff laying on nearly 350 hours of coaching courses, an inter-school tournament and a summer school.
 
Alton have signed up three additional schools for this year’s programme and will provide nearly double the number of coaching hours. The ECB have funded some of the costs for C2S so far but eventually Alton hope to fund the scheme through its members and sponsor partnerships with local businesses.
 
On the field, Alton currently run boys’ sides from U9s to U17s and this summer will see the formation of an U10 girls’ side.
 
Additionally, the club also puts out five men’s league teams and in 2007 Alton Ladies won the Hampshire League title in only their third year of existence.
 
“The new nets will significantly improve the quality of coaching on offer. They are vital for bringing the best out of our players and providing an exceptional training facility for junior cricket at Alton and the community as a whole,” said Alton club chairman Martin Green.
 
"The Veolia Environmental Trust, the ECB and the Town Council have really backed us and we cannot wait to get the nets up and running,”
said Green.