Outdoor cricket nets & Match Pitch at Eggborough

This is the story of a one-team cricket club in Yorkshire and a ground relocation that sets them up for years to come.

For this content collaboration with total-play, I went along to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to see their two-lane outdoor cricket nets and non-turf pitch.

Years ago, I’d watched an evening league game in front of the cooling towers of the power station, until the site was demolished in 2021.

That led to the squad having four years as tenants at Hirst Courtney Cricket Club, while a site for Eggborough’s next ground was planned and developed.

Eggborough’s first-team captain Scott Tyson shared the journey in this first season at their Hazel Old Lane HQ. They are leasing the ground from St Francis Group, who commissioned and funded the build.

Prioritising outdoor nets

When mapping out what they needed, Eggborough’s committee were clear on part of the puzzle: “Top of our priority list was nets. We’ve got this new facility and we really want to grow the club.”

The benefits with non-turf cricket nets by total-play are many. First and foremost, clubs get to train in a high-spec, ECB-approved system that elevates practice and coaching sessions.

But before we get to that, Scott geeked out a bit on the colour scheme. They opted for the straw tone of the ‘Natural Pitch Colour’ with the optional blue borders, as a close nod to Eggborough’s club palette of royal blue and yellow.

Clubs can customise the aesthetic of their outdoor nets in a variety of ways from carpets to training lines to coloured powder coating, gate and barriers, as well as batting curtains and skirting.

Scott said: “It’s going to attract players…we’re pushing for a women’s side and we want to build a junior section because that secures the longevity of the club for us.”

More members, usage and hiring requests

To that end, word is spreading with a squad growing towards enough for a second league cricket team. They have signed new players for this season and while I was there, learnt of a father and son duo set to switch imminently to bolster numbers further.

At present, Eggborough have one team in Division 2 of the Pontefract & District Cricket League, with a move agreed for 2027 to the Yorkshire Premier League North.

Besides a new ground and nets encouraging new members, the facility has injected impetus into practice:

“The number who are using it has upped. We’ve gone from the same few on a Tuesday evening…I’ll be down at six and we’re averaging twelve or thirteen players.”

As there’s a lockable gate, players are now coming down solely to train on their own schedule too. For a cricket club seeking to expand, the nets can also be hired out to generate income and there have been expressions of interest already.

Kitchen or nets?

With the project heading towards the end game, there was enough budget left for a kitchen and bar or bespoke nets. Eggborough chose the nets! They had been travelling to Wakefield but can now focus on their own location and augment it with a bowling machine.

Don’t worry – the club then put the call out for expertise to help fit the kitchen so with hard graft and local skills, EPSCC now have the best of both.

Match Pitch

Laid in the Spring, the cricket club’s green artificial non-turf Match Pitch is at the edge of the square. They selected the flagship tp5t ECB-Approved Design System.

It will enhance playing and practice opportunities while preventing over-use of the grass pitches, as the club grows and others hire the site too.

With market-leading warranties (base construction for up to 36 years and carpets up to 12 years), there is peace of mind that the Match Pitch is built to last.

Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club, now Clubmark-accredited, have seen their fortunes soar yet they’ve had to be patient. The next chapter will be exciting to see play out as the foundations are in place to really kick on.

Non-turf cricket nets & Match Pitch: How the project happened

When approached in 2025, total-play proposed an ECB-approved ’tp5t’ specification with a range of additional design options. Online Zoom video calls and on-site meetings with the St Francis Group helped narrow down overall requirements.

The total-play team brings enormous experience as the company has installed many non-turf cricket nets across the country.

In this case, part of the thought and care was around timing the nets construction with a new cricket pavilion and ground also coming to life.

The base for the two-lane facility was laid in February 2026. As the site for the nets is at the opposite side of the ground to the entrance, consideration was given to avoid any haulage damage to the newly-laid outfield with the hire of a temporary trackway.

Spec for the outdoor cricket nets:

ECB-approved ’tp5t’ design, 33m enclosed with Black HD Protection Tunnel Netting, Natural Pitch Colour Playing Surface with Blue Borders and Blue Run-Ups, Black PVC Protection Skirting, Pedestrian Access Gate & Wrap Batting Curtains.

Contact total-play

If your cricket club would like to discuss non-turf cricket facilities, contact Anthony Burton via [email protected] or you can visit total-play.co.uk.

Other services include the artificial match pitches, support with grass pitches and cricket MUGAs.

This is Partner Content for total-play – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on Partner Content.