New Ballarat Cricket Hub Launched

Representatives from the Victorian Government, the City of Ballarat, Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades opened the new facility today ahead of the WBBL derby between the Renegades and the Stars.

The $2 million development includes upgrades to female changeroom facilities, a ground redevelopment, improvements to outdoor turf and synthetic training facilities and the installation of Premier Grade cricket lighting.

The changes will expand the playing and training opportunities for all teams and provide a regional hub for coaching and development work.

“This is a really important project to make sure these grounds are up to scratch and that more women can get involved in playing,” Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle said.

“This is a great collaboration with both Government and Council investing in women’s sport.”

Cricket Victoria State Infrastructure Manager Adam Renfrey said the project was an important step forward for the region.

“This is an exciting day for Ballarat cricket and the broader Central Highlands region with the opening of our new Regional Cricket Hub at Eastern Oval. This project has been developed in partnership with the City of Ballarat, Victorian State Government and Cricket,” Renfrey said.

“This is the first of eight venues to be delivered within our Regional Hub network developed to service the needs of both community cricket and performance pathways throughout country Victoria.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the City of Ballarat and local cricket stakeholders to progress growth in our game throughout the region and the role Eastern Oval will play in providing future development opportunities.”