Town Cricket Club nets top class facility thanks to Notts Sport

Press Releasein Cricket

The future is looking bright for Godmanchester Town Cricket Club thanks to new practice nets designed and supplied by the world's leading supplier of synthetic cricket surfacing systems, Notts Sport.

As Huntingdonshire's leading cricket club, Godmanchester boasts a long and proud history and is striving to regain its position in the East Anglia Premier League (EAPL).

Practice facilities are vital in improving matchplay, but the club's nets, already second-hand when they were inherited from a local school, were in desperate need of replacing - and that's where Notts Sport stepped in to help.

The installation of the new double bay nets system, 30m in length and covered with NottsWeave artificial turf, has given the club a top-class, quick-draining practice facility which can be used in any weather.

Club chairman Simon Bollom said Notts Sport was selected for the project after providing the highest-quality, most cost-effective and flexible solutions of a number of companies bidding for the scheme - and he couldn't be happier with the results.

He said: "Our new nets are fantastic and they've made a huge difference to the club. Our previous facility was totally unusable for the first-team cricketers and it didn't meet the safety standards required for use by the kids.

"We were really pleased with the service provided by Notts Sport and they delivered exactly what we had hoped for. The new nets were in use every day throughout the season and are standing up to the constant wear and tear very well indeed."

One of the club's project leaders for the installation, Paul Swannell, added: "Our new nets are excellent - they have really helped the seniors and been a vast improvement for the juniors who are enjoying better quality coaching sessions.

"We now have a high quality practice facility, which is a more realistic environment and where you can play a greater range of shots. And whereas the old nets were a bit of a hazard in the wet, the new ones can be used in all sorts of weather."

Notts Sport was on hand with first-class customer service for every step of the project at the club's ground at The Parks, off Fox Grove, Godmanchester, with the removal of the existing nets and groundwork carried out by Notts Sport approved installer Bingham Ground Services.

The new facility, which received funding from Donarbon Ltd, Godmanchester Town Council and the ECB, is being used by a wide range of players, including the 1st XI, who currently compete in Division One of the Tucker Cambs and Hunts League, and other senior teams, as well as the ladies team, juniors, schools and members of the local community.

And the club hopes that the new nets are a stepping stone to helping it progress in the long-term back to its former place in the EAPL.
Paul commented: "With these new nets we seem to be attracting more young players to the club, and more parents are now bringing their children down for practice.

"We're trying to consolidate our position at the moment after having had quite a high turnover of players. Hopefully these younger members will help in the future with the club's long term plan to get back in the EAPL."

Notts Sport, which has 26 years' experience in the synthetic sports and play surfacing industry, is the world's leading supplier of non-turf cricket pitch systems for coaching, practice and matchplay.

The company offers a choice of ECB-approved artificial pitches - including the NottsBase D System and Envelope System, which can be designed and installed as matchplay or practice facilities - plus bespoke systems and a range of portable training mats for indoor and outdoor use.

Shaun Patrick, Chairman of Notts Sport, says: "Notts Sport is a big backer of the grassroots game, and so it was a real delight to supply new nets to Godmanchester Town Cricket Club, giving players the chance to improve their game and hopefully help the club regain its place in the EAPL.
"As always, our approved installers, Bingham's, did us proud and pulled out all the stops to deliver a first-class service. Whatever the needs of a club, Notts Sport can provide a tailor-made solution to help."

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