A CRICKET club has received Sport England funding of nearly £10,000 to help cultivate its junior talent.

North Stainley Cricket Club has received £9,470 from Sport England Small Grants scheme to help prepare junior members for the senior game.

Membership at the club has been steadily growing and there is now a steady flow of juniors playing in the senior teams.

The grant will fund an extensive joint coaching and fitness programme targeted at members 13 years and older.

A number of older teenagers will also be given the opportunity to achieve a coach support qualification and funding is available for existing coaches to professionally develop their skills.

Members from the club have worked on the application for over six months developing the project with Yorkshire Cricket Board, Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Sport.

Club secretary Julie Puttock said: “Cricket is well established in North Stainley but as a club we are always keen to improve.

“The grant will support the older junior members as they migrate to senior cricket as we want to ensure that cricket continues in North Stainley for another generation.”

North Stainley Cricket Club runs an existing active junior boys’ and girls’ development programme for ages 3 to 16 years in addition to three senior teams.

Anyone interested in joining the club this season, should contact club secretary Julie Puttock on 01765- 635312 or email; julie@puttockfamily.co.uk.