Canterbury Cricket Club is celebrating after receiving a grant of over £45,000 from theCommunity Cricket Development Program which is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The grant will help the club finance the construction of a new cricket ground at the Polo Farm Sports Club complex. Work on the project will begin in the next few weeks and it is envisaged that the new ground will be ready for use in 2010.

Club Chairman Mr Grahame Bennett said “We are thrilled to get this funding which is a tangible benefit of being a Clubmark accredited focus club who have been working closely with the Kent County Cricket Board.

Funding of this nature will enable us to continue with the development of our playing facilities and our junior section, which is the lifeblood of any sports club. As one of a handful of clubs in Kent delivering the Chance to Shine programme, we are working very hard to encourage more youngsters to come into the sport. Now we’ve got the money to develop our facilities its time for the real work to start!”