A CRICKET club has been bowled over with news of a National Lottery grant.

A £445,980 Sport England Lottery Fund award means that Saltburn Cricket, Bowls and Tennis Club can replace its 80-year-old buildings.

With the added help of a £40,000 grant from the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, and proceeds from its own fundraising, the club is pressing ahead with a £700,000 redevelopment of its Marske Mill Lane base.

The improvements will include new cricket changing rooms, attached to the existing clubhouse, a new tennis pavilion, extensions to the bowls pavilion and clubhouse, a new scorebox and equipment store.

There will also be a new indoor nets area which will put it on a par with facilities at Headingly and Edgbaston, a short tennis coaching area for children, and an indoor sports hall.

"We hoped we would get it," said secretary Colette Vanham yesterday. "When we actually did get it, we were just so pleased to be able to do all we wanted to do.

"The buildings were in need of a complete overhaul, which would have been very expensive. In fact, it was better to re-build.

"There are no showers in the tennis building, and no wheelchair access," said Ms Vanham. "Over in the tennis pavilion, the ladies changing room doubled at one end as a kitchen, which meant any men had to be careful if they wanted a drink of water."

Ms Vanham said the cricket pavilion could not be upgraded, because of its ageing fabric.

"We have contacted local clubs and schools in the east Cleveland area and they are very interested," she said.

"We intend that the facilities are used not just by members. All sorts of youth groups will be able to use the facilities.''