Club News

16 October 1997

Glamorgan have received a further boost for their ambitious plans at Sophia Gardens by the award of a £3.2 million grant from Sportlot towards a national academy of excellence at the Cardiff ground.

The grant will help to fund an indoor cricket school, containing seven lanes of nets, plus other facilities, both indoors and outdoors. Hopefully work will have been completed by the time Glamorgan play host to the Australians for the 1999 World Cup. It is also the largest grant handed out so far by the Lottery Sports Fund for Wales, administered by the Sports Council for Wales.

Tony Dilloway, the county`s Marketing Director, was delighted with the news. "The grant is a magnificent platform from which to push forward the development plan for cricket throughout Wales. 1997 has not just been a championship winning year, as we now have sole occupancy of Sophia Gardens and our dream to create a national cricket ground, of which all of Wales can be proud, moves closer to becoming a reality.The prospect of building anational cricket academy is mouthwatering."

Matthew Maynard will be leading an England XI in three "Cricket Max" games in New Zealand in late October and early November. The England side also includes Robin Smith, Chris Adams, Dominic Ostler, Mark Alleyne, Chris Lewis, Neil Smith, Ian Austin, Rob Turner, Phil De Freitas, Shaun Udal and Graeme Welch.

The Glamorgan captain will be based in New Zealand over the winter months acting as player/coach of Otago for the 1997/98 domestic season. It is hoped that a link will be provided, as last winter, from these pages to the Otago cricket page, allowing Glamorgan supporters to keep up-to-date with Matthew`s progress in New Zealand.

Glamorgan have released Gareth Edwards from their playing staff. The 21 year old off-spinner made just one first-class appearance, playing against Oxford University at The Parks in 1997, where he bowled 9 overs without taking a wicket at a cost of 49 runs.