Swann and Bopara back Urban Cricket

England players Graeme Swann and Ravi Bopara attended the opening of the new Urban Cricket facility in Manchester

England stars Graeme Swann and Ravi Bopara joined Lancashire captain Glen Chapple for the official opening of the npower Urban Cricket facility in Manchester.

The new facility has been built on the Bignor Street playing field in the city and has transformed a disused area of the park.

It is the last of five purpose-built facilities to be opened across the country as part of the Urban Cricket initiative and provides a permanent space for children in Manchester to learn and practice their cricket skills, turning them into possible stars of the future.

In addition, five school playgrounds in the Manchester area have been redeveloped into Urban Cricket zones.

Working in partnership with Manchester City Council and the Lancashire County Cricket Board, the development of the facility and its five supporting zones, creates a tiered community development programme with a clear route for children to follow, from learning basic skills all the way up to playing club cricket.

Nottinghamshire off-spinner Swann, who picked up seven wickets in the recent Test series victory over West Indies, said: “It's fantastic to see initiatives such as npower Urban Cricket giving youngsters the chance to get out there and play the game.

“It’s going to make a real difference to the local community and will hopefully produce plenty more first class cricketers in the area.”

Bopara, who made superb centuries in both Tests against the Windies, added: “The npower Urban Cricket facilities are a great way of developing a legacy for the game and allowing children in the area to practice their skills.”

npower Urban Cricket, a grassroots project run in conjunction with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), was launched in 2006 with one clear goal – to get more children playing cricket.

Swann and Bopara show off their batting skills in front of local school children and Glen Chapple