A year after Rishi Sunak’s headline promise of £35 million for 16 all-weather cricket domes, the current government has found a far more modest £1.5 million. The cash will pay for just two inflatable, year-round facilities – one in Luton, the other in Lancashire – and, while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is grateful, it is also realistic about the gap between ambition and delivery.
“Unfortunately, the announcement made by the last government was a fantasy,” culture secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC at Leyland Cricket Club. “There was not a single penny of actual funding attached to it.”
She went on to describe the earlier pledge as “absolutely nothing at all”, stressing that the new, smaller package is at least underpinned by real money. Nandy framed the investment as part of a wider “Plan for Change” designed to get more children and teenagers active, with a broader National Youth Strategy due later in the year.
Key facts first
• Two domes: Luton and Lancashire
• Total spend: £1.5 m from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
• Original pledge: £35 m for 16 domes (April 2024)
• Timescale: sites expected to open before the women’s T20 World Cup in 2026
The ECB already bankrolls a prototype dome in Bradford, open since 2023. That pilot, widely regarded as a success in a city with limited outdoor space, forms the template for the new builds. Bradford’s bubble is booked most evenings for women’s softball, junior coaching and even the odd county squad session when West Yorkshire weather does its worst.
Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, welcomed the fresh but limited support. “These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will be transformative for the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year-round and providing top-class facilities for elite players too,” he said. “They are an important part of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.
“We are pleased to secure Government support for these incredible community facilities, which we hope will provide a vital proof point of what can be achieved, and look forward to future collaboration. As we have seen in Bradford, centres like these can have a hugely positive impact – bringing people together, opening up opportunities, and inspiring the next generation.
“As we look ahead to hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, building on that success by rolling out more domes in communities across England and Wales will be key to creating a genuine and lasting legacy from the tournament.”
Why domes matter
Indoor hubs keep cricket running through winter, protect spin bowlers’ fingers from frozen seams and save fast bowlers’ shins from net-practice concrete. They also remove the weather excuse that often keeps newcomers – especially girls and boys without club connections – away from the game. Bradford’s data suggests roughly half its users are under 18 and a third identify as female.
Analysis without the jargon
£1.5 m will not stretch far. A single inflatable dome, plus changing rooms and basic net lanes, typically costs around £750,000. Running costs, especially heating, can be steep. Long-term success will rely on local councils, county boards and club volunteers finding sustainable income streams – think school bookings, five-a-side football and multi-sport programmes – rather than leaning solely on ECB grants.
Still, even two domes represent progress. Luton has a large South Asian community with a hunger for cricket but scarce green space. Lancashire’s wet springs and autumns regularly wash out club fixtures. For players in both areas, a warm bubble in February is better than no cricket at all.
The ECB will continue lobbying Treasury and DCMS officials in the hope of edging closer to Sunak’s shelved £35 m vision. For now, though, administrators are opting for pragmatism over promises.
