A dome can create access. A club creates belonging.
The Government’s announcement of £3m for 5 new all weather cricket domes is good news for the game.
The new facilities in Birmingham, Bolton, Derby, Newcastle and Nottingham should help more people play cricket throughout the year, whatever the weather. With the ECB matching the investment, and the announcement tied to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, it is clearly designed to help turn a major sporting moment into a longer term participation legacy.
That matters.
Cricket has a huge opportunity in front of it. Women’s and girls’ cricket is growing. The visibility of the women’s game is improving. More families are seeing cricket as something for daughters as well as sons. More communities are looking for inclusive, social, active spaces where people can play, volunteer, support and belong.
Facilities are a big part of that.
If a young person wants to try cricket but there is nowhere suitable to train in winter, that is a barrier. If a women’s or girls’ team wants to grow but access to good training space is limited, that is a barrier. If a club wants to keep players engaged outside the main summer season but weather and facilities get in the way, that is a barrier.
So yes, cricket domes matter.
But facilities alone do not create participation.
They create access. They create opportunity. They create the physical space for growth.
The thing that turns access into habit is the club.
That is where grassroots cricket has its real power.
A cricket club is not just a pitch, a net, a pavilion or a fixture list. It is a place where people are welcomed, encouraged, coached and remembered. It is where parents stand on the boundary. It is where volunteers make the tea. It is where juniors become seniors. It is where players come back year after year. It is where families become part of something.
That sense of belonging is what keeps people involved.
A young girl inspired by the Women’s T20 World Cup might first pick up a bat because of what she sees on TV. A new dome might give her somewhere better to practise. But a local club is where she becomes part of a team.
That is why national investment works best when it strengthens local clubs.
The missing middle between inspiration and participation is often communication.
People need to know where to go. They need to know they will be welcome. They need to know what is available, what it costs, who runs it and how to take the first step. Clubs need help promoting sessions, recruiting volunteers, attracting sponsors, celebrating success and keeping their members informed.
That is not glamorous work, but it is essential.
At Grassroot Media, we see this every week through the cricket clubs we work with across the UK. Clubs are not short of passion. They are full of people who care deeply about the game and their communities. What they often need is practical support, visibility and extra income.
They need better ways to promote sponsors.
They need better ways to communicate with players, parents and visitors.
They need help turning national enthusiasm into local engagement.
They need brands, governing bodies and funders to understand that grassroots clubs are not just distribution points for sport. They are community infrastructure.
That is especially true in cricket.
Cricket clubs bring together players, parents, children, older members, volunteers, local businesses and supporters. They are often multi generational spaces. They can reach different communities in a way many other environments cannot. They are social, trusted and rooted in place.
That makes them incredibly valuable, not just for sport, but for wider community impact.
So the new cricket domes should be welcomed. They can help remove real barriers to year round participation. They can support the continued growth of women’s and girls’ cricket. They can give communities better facilities and help turn tournament inspiration into something lasting.
But the next question is just as important.
How do we make sure those facilities connect properly with the local clubs, coaches, schools, families and volunteers who will turn access into belonging?
Because a dome can create access.
A club creates belonging.
Grassroot Media works with grassroots cricket clubs across the UK, helping brands support clubs while reaching active, social and community based audiences in the places where sport actually happens.