ECB announces £45m of Hundred money to go to inclusive grassroots projects

Around £45m raised by the £520m investment into The Hundred will be used to fund projects that make cricket more inclusive, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced.

When the eight Hundred teams were sold last year, 10% of the total money raised was ring-fenced for the grassroots game in England and Wales.

The ECB has confirmed the creation of the strategic facilities fund, which will be used for larger-scale projects and is expected to provide investment for at least 10 years.

It will target plans which benefit women and girls cricket, disability cricket, those in lower socio-economic groups or ethnically diverse communities.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for grassroots cricket thanks to the investment we've received into The Hundred," ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould said.

"With more children playing, the rapid growth of women's and girls' cricket, and our desire to become the most inclusive team sport, new and improved facilities are vital to open up access to cricket for communities across England and Wales."

The ECB hopes to receive additional money from the UK Government and other partners to boost funding.

The government announced £1.5m of funding last year for the building of two new cricket domes, though it has not fulfilled the previous government's pledge to put £35m into grassroots cricket.

The ECB is also doubling the money available in smaller grants for new and upgraded facilities at individual clubs and increasing the amount available in interest-free loans to fund improvements.

A further £6m from the recreational game's share of the Hundred investment will be used over the next three years to support the recreational county boards in delivering their own strategic plans.

Bids for money from the new facilities fund will be done from county boards. Applications will open in April.

In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report found "structural and institutional racism" continues to exist in cricket, women are treated as "subordinate" to men at all levels of the sport and said there is a prevalence of "elitism and class-based discrimination".

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