BUDDING cricketers are aiming to break new boundaries thanks to new training equipment. Buckley Cricket Club have secured a £1,000 Community Chest grant from the Sports Council for Wales (SCW) to buy mobile batting nets. The Lane End outfit hope the nets will aid the development of their junior players as it will allow them to run more training sessions and improve safety. Buckley plan to keep their aspiring Kevin Pietersens in peak condition over the winter months with indoor drills at Argoed High School. But come springtime, the new nets should be in operation in the lead-up to the 2009 campaign. Diana Cliffe, a junior coach at Buckley, said: “New nets will give us a safer practice area and make it easier to do one-to-one batting and bowling practice. It will really help to develop the players’ skills and technique. “We are hoping to have three junior teams next year and possibly an Under 18s development team. It’s really nice to see them come to the club as U11s to then go on to play senior cricket with the senior squad.” Since the inception of the SCW’s Community Chest in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects. As a result of the popularity and success of the scheme, the SCW is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport and physical activity can now receive up to £1,000 for a qualifying project over a 12-month period. The Community Chest’s scope has also been widened. Grants have traditionally been awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies, but now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award. Connah’s Quay all-rounder Glyn Owen is organising coaching sessions throughout the winter at Mold Sports Centre. On Saturdays November 22 and 29 and December 6, 13 and 20, from noon-2pm, youngsters from 10 years of age can benefit from ECB Level Two coaching. Contact Glyn on 07928761632 for more information. | 
Flintshire Sport 
