CRICKET
Indoor cricket allows for all-year play with no weather or light restrictions
THE ORIGINS OF INDOOR CRICKET
The origins of indoor cricket can be traced, if one version of history is to be believed, to the tiny town of Husum in Germany close to the Danish border, where an official tournament took place in the late 1960s. The modern, official format of indoor cricket, however, derives from the eight-a-side version that gained popularity in Australia in the 1970s.
Contrast these numbers with the fact
that there are only nine indoor cricket arenas in the whole of England and it’s easy to see that the sport in this country has its challenges – but also a potential for major growth. With this in mind, the ECB set up an indoor cricket arm (ECBIC) to take over the co-ordination and development of indoor cricket
in 2009. The development of new arenas is one of its main priorities. Gatting says that plans are to improve
current facilities as well as create new ones. “We’ve invested in the improvement plans of existing affiliates with several indoor centres already having received financial support and further facilities will be de- veloped by 2014,” he says. “We want to create an all-year-round offer to meet the needs of cricketers who want to keep their skill levels up during the winter and those who wish to play an informal, short format of the game in a safe, fun environment.”
OFFERING A HELPING HAND
For those looking to set up an indoor arena capable of hosting cricket, the ECB has worked with the operators of existing indoor facilities to produce a comprehensive guide, which outlines both a business plan and the technical re- quirements of an indoor cricket arena. The ECB’s Indoor Cricket Facilities (TS7)
document comes in two parts: A quick Guide T
o Getting Business Started; and
Design Guidelines. The former sets out the business plan for aspiring operators while the second offers technical requirements for a fully-fledged indoor arena – the guidelines of which were sourced through consultation with the Sport and Play Con- struction Association (SAPCA).
62 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital According to Gatting there is a large
support system to help operators and developers get involved in indoor cricket. “The ECB can assist in the development of projects both technically and in terms of business planning via national and county officers,” he says. “If centres affili- ate to the ECBIC a full explanation of the relationship is stated within the agree- ment so centres understand and are supported in their development. The ECB will then employ a national manager to support the development of the plans for indoor cricket centres and the relation- ship with existing and future affiliates.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Looking towards the sport’s future, Gatting sees the limited number of facilities as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. He says that the ECB is fully committed to developing new facilities and improving existing ones, but that it will need the support of dedicated operators to do the ground work. “The growth of centres across the country is not just dependent on investment, but also on people wanting to take up the business opportunity of running an In- door sports centre,” he says. ●
T
om Walker is the news editor at Leisure Opportunities
Issue 2 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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