AN INDOOR cricket academy is to be built at the Riverside stadium, which could help nurture the cricketing talent of the future.

The new facility is to be built at Durham County Cricket Club in Chester-le-Street for professional cricketers and the public. It should enable the sport to be played all year round and possibly encourage more young people to get involved, as cricket suffers waning popularity in the country.

Plans for the centre were given the go-ahead at Chester-le-Street District Council's planning meeting on Monday and when finished it will include five indoor cricket lanes, a classroom and spectators' gallery.

Director of cricket at the club, Geoff Cook said currently there is no designated centre in the district where people can practice cricket during bad weather.

He said: "This will be a fantastic contribution to local cricket and the development of the sport professionally and for recreation.

"The young players and professionals have to go to local sports halls to practice during winter, which certainly isn't ideal. It's been a long process to get to where it is now, so hopefully we'll be able to get it off the ground now."

Work on the centre, which is to be only the second of its kind in the county, should begin in about six months time.