Published Thursday 18 September 2025 at 10:50
Darwen Cricket Club has officially unveiled its impressive new all-weather facility – only the second of its kind in the whole country.
Affectionately referred to as the ‘Darwen Dome,’ the state-of-the-art facility is designed to host cricket all year round, regardless of weather conditions.
It features three full-length lanes and can also be used for match play, transforming into a flexible space for coaching, matches, and community events.
Importantly, it’s part of the ECB’s drive to expand access to cricket to more young people from all backgrounds, with a particular focus on revitalising the game in state schools.
ECB Chair Richard Thompson said:
This is a game-changer for state school cricket in the North West.
We want every child, regardless of where they go to school, to have the opportunity to fall in love with cricket.
This dome, and the partnership between the club, Lancashire Cricket Foundation and 13 local schools, is a powerful step towards levelling the playing field and become a real community asset.
The launch of the Darwen Cricket Centre follows the success of the inaugural dome in Bradford in 2023, with the ECB now looking to roll out the concept nationally.
Jen Barden, Executive Director of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, said:
We are delighted by the opening of the new cricket dome in Darwen – just the second of its kind to open in the UK.
It is fantastic news for state schools in our local area and will provide vital year-round access to keep young cricketers – including those taking their first steps into the game – engaged for the full year, rather than just during the summer months.
It is testament to the work being done by Lancashire Cricket Foundation, in partnership with the club, with additional support provided from the ECB and UK Government.
Volunteers at the club were successful in bidding to the ECB for funding for the facility. And the project has been developed in collaboration with Sir Rod Aldridge, Founder of the Aldridge Foundation and Aldridge Education Multi Academy Trust.
Along with the ECB, Sir Rod has also supported the project financially along with other funding partners including Harris Trust, Lloyd Trust Charity, Brian Mercer Trust and UK Shared Prosperity Fund through Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Chris Lowe, Chair, Darwen Cricket Club, said:
It’s a unique and exciting opportunity to make a difference to cricket and our community – supporting cricket in local schools, strengthening our club, growing access for all to cricket across our region, and enriching the wider community.
The addition of the all-weather facility comes after works to transform both the clubhouse and pavilion were completed, supported by the Darwen Town Deal.
And Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, was invited to speak at a special opening on Thursday.
He said:
What the volunteers at Darwen Cricket Club have achieved here is absolutely tremendous.
These new facilities will benefit the club, our town, borough, county and the whole region – inspiring a new generation to play and enjoy cricket.
The board members have been visionary in transforming an already incredibly well-regarded club – working hard to secure the funding needed to deliver some of the very best facilities in the country.
Their efforts have rightly been celebrated today – a proud moment in the club’s long history.
With boosting access to cricket for state school pupils at the very heart of the project, Darwen Cricket Club and Lancashire Cricket Foundation will work together to deliver cricket programmes in partnership with more than 13 schools in the local area, with activity taking place in schools, in the cricket dome and on the cricket ground.
Sir Rod Aldridge said:
The Aldridge Foundation believes that more young people attending state schools should have the opportunity to play cricket and benefit from the positive attributes that it brings to individuals along with the community spirit it encourages.
Through the cricket programme that my Foundation has run for the past 10 years in another of our academies based in Brighton, we have seen the power of cricket play a major role in enhancing academic learning and the development in a person the personal attributes that many employers are seeking, whilst developing a life-long love of the game.
Through this partnership between Lancashire Cricket Foundation and Darwen Cricket Club, the dome will bring enormous pleasure to so many young people in the surrounding areas for many years ahead and will have an enormous positive impact on their lives.
I applaud the ECB for backing this initiative and tapping into the positive impact that a local cricket club has within a community.
You can find out more about Darwen Cricket Club by visiting their website: https://www.darwencricketclub.com/