Nottinghamshire and England all-rounder Stuart Broad opened a new multi-use games arena in Sneinton last week in a bid to encourage inner-city youngsters to take up cricket.

The npower Urban Cricket arena, built at King Edward Park, is one of five being created across the country at a cost of £80,000.

Notts Club Development Officer Keith Tongue said: “This is a fantastic new facility and a massive boost for cricket in the city of Nottingham.

“It’s open to the public and has cricket-specific markings to allow youngsters to practice their skills and play some games.

“We intend to have the city youth leagues and district squads training there, as it’s a great central location.

“And hopefully city schools will want to use it in their curriculum time for PE sessions - with cricket-specific lessons in mind.”

Additional funding is also available from npower for cricket-specific playground markings to be created in local schools, further promoting cricket in the city.