Local cricketers are looking forward to the start of the new season next month - and now they have the added benefit of the new top-level Riverside Cricket Practice Facility.
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The $114,000 project was made possible via funding from the NSW ICC World T20 Cricket Legacy Fund ($54,000), the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund ($50,000) and Council ($10,000).
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It project includes an upgrade of cricket facilities at Chaffey Park.
The new Riverside facility has four wickets that will be used by players of all ages and levels.
It has both spin and pace surfaces, rear gates that open for wicketkeeping drills, or close to allow bowling machines to operate safely.
Paul Kelly, Tamworth Regional Council sports and recreation manager, said: "We're very pleased to get these up and running in readiness for the coming cricket season."
Kelly said council had worked on the project with Tamworth-based Cricket NSW development officers and the local cricket associations.
"They've told us that they need some more cricket training facilities," he said.
Kelly said the Riverside wickets would be available for use by the general public when cricket clubs were not training on them. "They'll definitely be certain periods throughout the week that cricket clubs will actually take over and use them as their training facility," he said.
"But, look, generally speaking they're open for everyone - from little tackers facing their first ball, right through to veterans, which is an ever-expanding market for cricket at the moment."
