Potential of Lancashire's new Farington second home outlined ahead of One Day Cup tests

Lancashire’s new second-home at Farington opened its doors to the public last week.

The facility, which will be sponsored by AO for the next decade, held a tester match on Wednesday, before utilising both Ovals for a U16s game against Yorkshire and a community dynamos event respectively on Thursday.

Later this month, the men’s first team will be in competitive action at the Preston venue for the first time, as they take on Kent (July 28) and Notts (July 30) in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Ahead of the upcoming fixture, bowler Tom Bailey said: “I came here about three years ago when it was still a field, and it’s changed a lot since then. It’s an incredible venue, and it’s great to see kids on one side and one of our aged group teams on the other.

“It’ll be hugely beneficial in producing cricketers for the future. My school didn’t really play cricket, so to have a community ground where various schools can take part is massive.

“For me growing up in Preston, Old Trafford was quite a long distance away, so to have this on the doorstep is huge. I imagine there’ll be a lot of good fixtures here, so it’ll be good to come and watch.

“As a kid I only managed to go to one game, and that was the catalyst in me becoming a cricketer, but if this was around I would’ve gone to a lot more.”

Lancashire Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton believes the first public use of the venue demonstrated exactly what it can offer going forward.

“I’ve been involved in this project for a long time now, and it’s great to see it in use - it’s what it’s been built for,” he stated.

“It’s brilliant to bring it to life. The pro teams have been here in the last few weeks training, and everyone’s been impressed with it.

“Most people I’ve spoken to have been pretty blown away by it; it takes your breath away. It’s quite a calming place, with a lovely backdrop. It’s a nice place to spend time, and a lot of people are feeling that.”