After years of hard slog, Bangalow Cricket Club finally has the new nets it’s been dreaming about. The old ones were falling apart, but no one had the money to replace them until now.
The club, led by President Anthony Maxwell, didn’t give up. Grants Officer Danielle Atkinson, whose son plays juniors, chased every funding lead and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
After years of knock-backs, Danielle secured an initial $40,000 from Cricket NSW – an important breakthrough that unlocked momentum. The NSW Office of Responsible Gambling followed with a further $115,000. The club chipped in $20,000 raised through all the usual raffles, BBQs and persistent locals, demonstrating just how committed this small but mighty club is.
Norths Collective also gave the club a hand, hooking them up with grant writers from Innovative Impact who helped get the paperwork over the line and the result has been well worth the effort.
Built entirely by local hands, the facility showcases the talents of Dick Collin of DFS Fencing & Welding, Andrew Boyle Concreting, and countless club members who prepped the ground and laid turf. Brisbane-based Gabba Sports completed the final installation of the soft netting and synthetic pitch.
The nets were officially launched in mid-October with a BBQ and a visit from the region’s own international cricketers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson, who presented uniforms to junior players and spoke of their excitement about the new training facility.
Both players live locally and have been getting into the nets themselves – sometimes even helping coach the juniors.
The new facility is more than a cricketing upgrade; it’s a community asset. The nets serve five local public schools including Newrybar, Coorabell and Eureka, and are already drawing representative cricket to the region.
The Far North Coast Cricket Council recently ran a trial match and net session here for the U12s and U13s – a good sign of things to come.
One of the three lanes is always open for public use, and it’s been great to see more locals having a hit – especially more girls giving cricket a go.
With upgraded infrastructure, rising junior participation and elite-level role models training in their backyard, cricket in Bangalow is well and truly on the front foot. And who knows – the next Zampa might just be learning to bowl down at Shultz Oval.
Murray Hand
Photo: Cricketers at new nets Photo Murray Hand