Wicket 2 Wicket: The Indoor Cricket Facility Allowing the Summer Sport to be Played All Year Round

Wicket 2 Wicket opened its doors in September 2022 with a vison to create an indoor cricket facility for local teams, schools, and individuals to be able to practice and improve on skills all year round. This is the only facility of its kind in the area and is already recognised as one of the leading centres in the UK. With over 20 local league cricket teams on its doorstep as well as schools, junior teams, infant teams, and youth projects around, the facility has already attracted a lot of demand and secured bookings that will take them up to next summer.

Owner Oliver Mason, along with business partner Richard Jones have strongly focused on making affordability for groups at the heart of the business. They have offered discounted rates to encourage teams to train and increase footfall into the business over the winter months and allow the service to become more affordable and encourage people out of their homes to play sport in their facility.

Both are keen cricketers, Richard Jones is an ECB Advanced Coach (Level 3) who has coached the Gwent Young Cricketers, Cricket Wales East Pathway and helped with Wales age group cricket. He also leads the grass roots pathway at Newport Fugitives Cricket Club, where he has played junior and senior cricket for 35 years. Oliver plays for his local club and is a Level 2 ECB cricket coach.

The Centre already has a shop on site, for all those cricketing needs, and a workshop offering cricket bat repair and refurbishment. The have recently opened a new area for meetings or parents to relax and watch the action through the Centres in-house camera relay.

A real success story for the centre has been the growth of women taking up the sport and playing the game indoors, with the women’s softball league’s popularity growing immensely this year.

Wicket 2 Wicket have received £14,663.08 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This grant was dedicated towards Wicket 2 Wicket through Caerphilly County Borough Council’s intervention of UKSPF funds. The grant, match funded by them helped to pay for a new score, lighting, heating boiler and sound system. The help has safeguarded at least 1 job and they are looking to take on new staff very soon. The Centre has also found space for a garment embroidery firm to relocate from Cwmbran and is ideal for all sports clubs needing their sports kits personalised.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change recently popped in to see the new centre for himself and picked up a few tips on his front foot shots and cover drives. He commented “It is fantastic to see such an excellent centre being set up here in Cwmcarn, with a focus on affordability for its users and supporting the grass roots game. I’m very pleased to see that the support from Caerphilly Council’s business team is helping Wicket 2 Wicket achieve their goal.”

Wicket 2 Wicket are already planning new ideas to increase the use of the venue, with conference facilities, team building activities, and the training of new umpires to help the business grow.

Oliver Mason said “The support from Caerphilly Council has been amazing, the grant process was very easy to apply for and meant we could achieve our business plans so much quicker. Now having the ability to heat the building ensures we can maximise the use of the Centre year long and more people actively involved in the sport.”