A CRICKET club has secured a £7,512 grant to help members bat on a level playing field.

Skelton Castle Cricket Club will spend the Biffa Award money on new equipment aimed at improving the wicket at the ground which has a history of deteriorating quickly in bad weather.

The aim of this project is to resolve this issue, and to encourage younger generations to engage with sport, as currently the ground is unsuitable for junior games.

The grant has been used to purchase wicket covers, that will help protect and preserve the playing surface, and mean an even contest can be held on the pitch. The club has also purchased two new sight screens, the minimum requirement for competitive cricket.

Club treasurer David Hodgson said: “The Biffa Award Grant enables the club to take the next steps in ensuring a safe playing facility is available to promote cricket participation within the local community and maximise the use of the facility."

And junior coach and volunteer Graeme Hurst said: “The new covers will help the club produce safe pitches for the cricket teams. By covering the wicket it will help preserve the pitch and allow the club to get more games from that particular pitch. This will allow us to spend more time coaching our junior members. It will also mean the children will get to play on the same standard pitches as the adults."