A CRICKET club's centenary celebrations have been given a cash boost with a £295,060 lottery grant.

Willington Cricket Club is now looking forward to providing state-of-the-art leisure facilities for budding cricketers well into the next century.

The massive grant from Sport England Lottery Fund will help modernise the pavilion facilities and provide new sporting opportunities.

It is hoped the major refurbishment will benefit schools, community groups and sports enthusiasts when it is completed in June next year.

Funding has been boosted further with the £34,500, which has already been raised by club members and local businesses.

Work is due to start next month and will include a new clubhouse with changing and social facilities, a two-bay all weather practice pitch, a digital scoreboard, new mobile wicket covers, grounds machinery and upgrading the surrounding grounds and paths.

Club treasurer Neil Moore, who works as a policeman in Crook, said: "We spent a great deal of time preparing our application and are delighted to see it come to fruition.

"However, the journey doesn't end here. Everyone has to realise that this hard work is only the beginning of ensuring that this club provides excellent sporting opportunities to current members as well as the next generation.''

Neil's colleague and first team captain Karl Brown said: "We aim to create a community-based cricket club where every player can develop his or her cricketing potential to the highest level.'' The club has had a chequered history since it was established by the mining community as a thriving colliery team.

It faced closure ten years ago, resigning from the county league when it could not sustain two teams before being rescued by the North-East Durham committee which offered a place in the third division.

Judith Rasmussen, Sport England's North-East regional director said: "Willington Cricket Club is in a strong position to become a focal point for the development of youth cricket in the Wear Valley area.

"The application showed real commitment to providing sporting opportunities to anyone in the area with new women's and under 11's teams currently under development."