IG Opens Grassroots Net Facilties at Burnage

• IG, in collaboration with the ECB and Lancashire Cricket, have officially opened a new grassroots facility at Burnage Academy for Boys, Manchester
• England and Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood joined staff and pupils at the school to take a look at the facility and hear about the school’s plans

IG, the global investing and trading platform and Official Investment Platform of the England Cricket team, has this week opened a new grassroots cricket net facility in Manchester to help grow the game of cricket across England and Wales.

Working alongside the ECB and local county teams and councils, IG’s Net Gains initiative outlines the brand’s commitment to invest in new public cricket net facilities across the country, giving local communities access to invaluable practice facilities which are integral to their development.

In collaboration with Lancashire Cricket Foundation, Burnage Academy has ambitious aims to become the first state-school cricket academy in the country, with the new facility being a key component of their plan. England and Lancashire bowler Saqib Mahmood visited the site and watched the Manchester Cup-winning under-13s training, sharing valuable bowling advice.

As well as the school’s cricket-mad cohort of 1000 boys benefiting from the facility, it will provide a high-quality and much-needed training space for boys, girls and adults in the local community too. With Arsalan Khalid also in place as LCF Community Cricket Development Officer at the school, the future of cricket is looking bright at Burnage.

Elise Ash, SVP Marketing & Growth at IG, said: “Net Gains is a fantastic initiative we have been working on with the ECB for the last few years. It’s brilliant to see all the planning and hard work finally come to life with these new net facilities. At IG, we’re really passionate about the next generation of cricketing talent so we want to support the growth of young players and grassroots cricket across the country.”

Karl Harrison, Headteacher at Burnage Academy, said: “The lanes are a fantastic addition to our school and give our pupils and the wider community access to a facility that will not only increase participation, but allow those more talented players to hone their skills and make even more progress. We are extremely grateful to IG, the ECB and Lancashire Cricket Foundation for their support.”

Dan Musson, Head of Facilities Planning at the ECB said: “We are delighted to see the new Burnage Academy Community Cricket facility open in Manchester, addressing the huge demand for cricket in these areas. Local authorities are under increasing financial pressure on a number of fronts, making collaborations and partnerships vital for developing sports facilities.

“Working with an engaged commercial partner in IG, progressive local authorities, and community focussed County Cricket Clubs has enabled us to develop an elite-quality practice facility that will be accessible to people locally.

“The new facilities will benefit a range of organisations ensuring the next generation of players has the opportunity to develop through cricket.”

Earlier in the year, IG and the ECB opened new net facilities in West Bridgford (Nottingham), Surbiton (Kingston), and Kennington (London) with more planned to open in 2025 including Bristol, Leeds, and Newham.