A NEW £40,000 training facility has been opened at a Worcestershire cricket club thanks to a grant from a sporting charity.

Cricket nets at Barnards Green Cricket Club, North End Lane, Malvern, are now among the best in the county after the Joanna Brown Trust donated £9,000 to the cause.

The England and Wales Cricket Board stumped up the rest of the cash.

The trust was set up in memory of Malvern woman Joanna Brown, who fell to her death while on holiday in Siberia in 2008. It aims to give people the chance to experience and excel in sport.

The nets were opened by former Barnards Green member and ex-Worcestershire and England batsman Tim Curtis before the club’s first game of the season on Saturday.

Mr Curtis said: “I am delighted to come back to Barnards Green to open their new net facility. The club has gone from strength to strength since I first played here 40 years ago. That the facility has been funded by a local charity such as the Joanna Brown Trust makes this an even more special event.”

Richard Brown, Joanna’s brother and founder of the trust, said: “We are delighted to be supporting a great club like Barnards Green.

“This project underlines our commitment to helping people of all ages not just participate in sport but go on and be the best they can.

“Jo was a winner, she always strived to be the best she could and we are confident a facility such as this will instal that mentality in members here at Barnards Green.”

Club chairman Andy Lamb said: “The installation of the new non-turf three-lane cricket nets has had a significant effect on the development of players at the club.

“This has meant that we are now able to use all our coaches to the full and that there is enough flexibility through our programmes to enable a complete spectrum of coaching to take place simultaneously.

“We are indebted to the Joanna Brown Trust in getting this project to completion. The trust can be justifiably proud of its role and of the enduring legacy that this project will play in maintaining participation in sport for young people locally."

For more information about the Joanna Brown Trust, visit thejoannabrowntrust.org