CHAGFORD Cricket Club has hit a six in recent days with the arrival of its new mobile cricket cage.

Chagford's youth cricket side has received a grant of £1,926 from the Towns and Parishes Fund to pay for the new piece of equipment.

The TAP fund is a shared initiative funded by West Devon Borough Council and Devon County Countil for joint projects involving two or more parishes. The bid was led by South Tawton Parish Council and supported by Belstone, Drewsteignton, Throw-leigh and Gidleigh.

West Devon's mayor Christine Marsh officially opened the cage on May 8.

Neil Rowlands from the cricket club said: 'We are very grateful for the funding from the TAP fund to help pay for this facility. The net will help train up youngsters and improve their game greatly.'

The club has also received a £600 grant from the David Shepherd Cricket Trust to stage 12 indoor coaching sessions in the winter months. Chagford was one of eleven clubs in the county to qualify for grants thanks to a scheme run by the trust.

The trust needs members to help support its work and offered £600 grants to the first eleven clubs to sign up 10 new recruits.

Chagford spent its grant running sessions at Parklands Leisure Centre in Okehampton for boys aged nine to 15. Between 40 to 45 boys across the ability spectrum benefited from coaching.

'The sessions were used to further develop the skills of these boys, or give an opportunity to those who need extra coaching away from the busy Friday night outdoor sessions held throughout the summer,' said Chagford's Neil Rowlands.

'The coaches had a two-lane net facility within the sports hall along with plenty of additional space for warm-ups, fielding drills and use of the 'kanon' for catching practice.

'We found these sessions beneficial to all attendees, from those attending district sessions, and needing some additional practice, to giving our club squads a kick-start to their outdoor season.

'The club is indebted to the David Shepherd Cricket Trust for the financial contribution that allowed us to continue to run these sessions and provide valuable practice to our squads.'