Lancashire Cricket - Second in name only

Emirates Old Trafford is one of the country’s premier cricket venues for the international men’s and women’s games, but is now running at full capacity, commentators state.

Tom Bailey County Councillor Aidy Riggott and Phoebe Graham at Farington.

Lancashire Cricket’s outgrounds in Liverpool, Southport and Blackpool have their own programmes to organise, adding to the fixtures congestion, in part generated by the launch of new competitions.

The club foresaw the issue some years ago and as far back as 2021 submitted proposals for a dedicated second ground. Farington, near Leyland, was its targeted site, and in early 2025, that vision is well on the journey to completion as what will prove a pioneering cricket facility takes shape in the geographic heart of Lancashire.

After Lancashire County Council’s Development Control Committee approved the plans in March 2023, work began on the green field site in the November with the words of Mark Chilton, Lancashire Cricket’s director of cricket performance heralding “a landmark day” for the club.

The project is proceeding to a 19-month build schedule and is a collaboration between Lancashire Cricket and Lancashire County Council, with local contractor Eric Wright Construction in charge of raising the facility from former farming fields.

Farington will see top class and community cricket played side by side on two ‘ovals’, each holding a square of 18 wickets.

In a layout reminiscent of the Preston Nomads twin-oval ground at the foot of the South Downs, Farington will be a centre of excellence for women’s cricket in the North West and a focus for the men’s and women’s elite game.

The site will be home to the club’s Academy, as Lancashire Cricket and the county council’s shared values on the development of the game are realised to help continue to bring through “the cricketers of the future”, Mark Chilton added.

The ECB has ploughed in £1.6m funding for the project, a measure of its commitment to Farington’s importance for the game. One of the governing body’s largest ever investments, “because of its scope”, deputy chief executive Clare Connor spoke of Lancashire’s pride in “serving diverse groups of participants in our sport”, referring to the ground’s role as a regional development centre for disability cricket.

The oval earmarked for recreational and community cricket is expected to host state schools, local clubs and community groups “to connect more communities through cricket”, she added. The club  said the facility would ”encourage sport, fun, participation, health, wellbeing and activity in a safe, managed environment”, adding that one of its main responsibilities and key remits was to grow cricket in the North West and bring through home grown players through its Academy, also harnessing community spirit and to lead on the development of the game.

Major competitive matches will still be played at Emirates Old Trafford, the club stated, while all of the county’s teams will be able to play and train at Farington, including the men’s first XI and Lancashire Women.

“The county cricket format could be played there, apart from The Hundred and international fixtures,” it confirmed, along with some one-day games and T20 matches possibly.

Developed on what is described as mainly low-grade agricultural land, the fields had been levelled by early summer 2024. “A 100mm gravel layer was laid across the whole area, overlaid with 300mm of rootzone to provide drainage, then seeded,” explained Lancashire Cricket head groundsman Matt Merchant.

Matt Merchant with Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson 
on the professional oval.

By early December, the build team could announce that the professional square had been handed over to the club and council to prepare the oval for play to ensure the pitch is bedded in and prepared.

Meanwhile, the centrally-sited pavilion, housing changing rooms and players fitness facility, plus the year-round covered practice area has continued apace, together with the second oval, also to function as a training pitch.

“We expect the community pitch to see cricket at the back end of this year,” Matt continued, “with the professional square ready for men’s and women’s first team squads and Academy players early to mid-2026.” And that despite a very rainy period hampering progress on site, added Peter Harrison, project manager for Eric Wright Construction.

Germination and growth of the professional oval has been so vigorous, Matt said he was expecting to give the outfield its first cut early this year.

The project also serves as a major landscaping endeavour. “No waste has been removed during the cut and fill,” Peter said. The 2m depth of earth the heavy plant and equipment moved across the whole area has created perimeter green banking to provide elevated viewing positions for up to 5,000 spectators.

Environmental considerations are part and parcel of the completed site. Tree and wildflower plantings, green spaces and “sympathetic ecological landscaping” will deliver “an attractive setting, encouragement for wildlife and screening for local residents”.

“We are looking to maximise sustainability benefits and opportunities for the new low carbon agenda,” Lancashire Cricket noted.

What lies beneath is seen as every bit as important as the playability and resilience of Farington’s sports surfaces. “To have a venue of this size and scope with the quality of drainage will allow us to deal with adverse weather conditions and get more games on away from Emirates Old Trafford,” Mark Chilton stressed during his visit to Farington last July.

Farington will be a groundbreaking cricket facility in more ways than one. It will nurture cricket right through the network of age groups and abilities that will, in a sense, rekindle the tradition of the village game in a tranquil setting, the envy of many clubs.

“Emirates Old Trafford was built for one professional team to play there,” said former Lancashire and England bowler, now presenter, Paul Allott. “Matt was put under huge pressure, particularly at the back end of the season.”

Facing pressure of a different kind, Matt spoke eagerly about what lies ahead for him and the grounds team. “I’m really excited by the challenge,” he concluded. “These are two massive squares, each the size of Emirates Old Trafford’s, and will take a lot of staff to manage.”

Asked if he felt fear and trepidation about the groundcare journey ahead, Matt replied, smiling: “Just a little bit.”