YOUNGSTERS in Charlton Down have been bowled over by new Cricket nets in the village.

The cricket club has installed two bay nets which are free for the public to enjoy, after receiving more than £17,000 in grants.

The club has been looking to install the nets for around two years and their popularity since they were installed suggest they have been worth the wait.

Chairman Jonathan Butterworth said: “They enable us to provide a safe environment for children to come and enjoy cricket. They are left completely open so we are seeing dads and sons wandering down in the evening and using them, which is really nice to see.”

The total cost of the nets was £24,000, with donations coming through a grant of £3,000 Lady Taverners cricket charity, a £10,000 Lottery grant and £4,500 from West Dorset District Council.

The rest of the money came from the club’s sponsors.

Charlton Down Cricket Club currently has three cricket teams and a further three teams also use the ground for their fixtures.

Mr Butterworth said it won’t just be the six teams who benefit from the nets though, as the public access means youngsters from the village will also have the chance to use them.

He said: “It is a really good facility and a lot of people will benefit from them.”

n harry.hogger@dorsetecho.co.uk