A NEWLY renovated net facility is giving Knowle Village Cricket Club a helping hand when it comes to practising.
Leading local housebuilder Taylor Wimpey donated £500 towards the cost of the renovations which have been a major boost to the club who currently sit second from bottom in the Warwickshire League Division One.
“Having a good quality net facility is crucial for the training and development of all players – from our adult teams down to the juniors,” said Kevin Perfect, secretary of Knowle Village Cricket Club.
“The old nets were laid more than ten years ago and were looking very tired – the bounce we were getting from the surface was inconsistent and that meant the standard of practice for the players wasn’t as good as it could have been.
“But with the renovations the surface has been relayed to achieve as close to a realistic bounce as possible, like a real wicket would be. The closer you can replicate match conditions in the practice nets the better our players can develop their skills.”
Knowle was set up in 1882 and is an established part of the community with three Saturday teams, a Sunday side, a midweek social team and four junior sides who all playing at the Hampton Road ground.
On top of that, Arden School uses the ground for its cricket matches, with pupils also benefiting from the new nets facility.
“The renovation of the net facilities is a huge benefit for all involved at the club and everyone that uses the venue,” added Kevin. “We’d like to say a big thank you to Taylor Wimpey for their donation towards the costs.
“It’s great for them to support a local community set-up and it means a lot to the players and members to have these quality training facilities at the club.”