The season may have ended but members at Mill Hill Village Cricket Club are aiming to raise £5,000 for brand-new state of the art practice nets after a successful summer.

The club has not had fit-for-purpose fixed nets for more than 20 years.

The club has already raised £39,610 through its members and friends, the London Borough of Barnet, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Grange Farm Trust, which supports community and sports projects across London and its surrounding areas. But another £5,000 is needed to hit a £45,000 target.

Director of Cricket Philip Smith said: “We are now very close to having a brand new fixed practice nets facility at the Club. They are an essential next step to the progression of the Club, providing long overdue and essential high-quality practice facilities for our Junior and Adult sections.

“They will allow us to enhance our offering to the whole cricket membership and potentially attract and expand the membership as a result.

“We have secured grants to cover more than two-thirds of the total costs.

“The remainder of the costs will be met by the Club. We already have had numerous generous donations, for which we are very grateful, but any amount, however small, is really appreciated by the Club."

The bulk of the costs for two ECB-approved non-turf practice nets includes £18,500 on surfaces and surrounds, £9,500 on the net cages and gates and £4,120 on levelling, among other costs.

This latest fundraising drive comes after the Club’s 1st XI and 2nd XI sealed promotion in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League this season by winning their respective leagues. The club also has a thriving youth section of boys and girls.

Smith said: “It is fantastic that we are able to build upon the recent success of our 1st and 2nd XI Adult teams and the growing Youth section, with progress on these new facilities being a tangible sign of our progress as a Club.

“We hope and look forward to these facilities raising playing standards even higher and leading to further future successes at all levels.”

To donate, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mhv-cricket-nets.