THE Hampshire cricket Board has been awarded £100,727 by the Cricket Foundation for its development work over the next 12 months.

The award is part of £2.7m distributed by the Cricket Foundation in support of the development strategies of the England & Wales Cricket Board.

The total amount ploughed back into the grass roots of the game by the Cricket Foundation over the past five years stands at £13m, and it is hoped to provide a further £9m over the next three years.

The Foundation is an independent charity which works closely with the ECB to promote the game nationwide.

In order to qualify for funding, Hampshire and the other 37 county boards submit annual development plans which need to satisfy the Foundation as realistic and practical.

The money will continue to be crucial to the Hampshire Cricket Board in making further progress towards its objectives, including the major task of introducing the game to young persons and encouraging them to take it up.

The Board's work has been led by cricket development officer, Mark Garaway, before his recent move to Somerset, and women's cricket development officer Clair Slaney.

Those key activities include:

* Further development of Kwik Cricket in Primary Schools.

* Further introduction of Inter Cricket into Secondary Schools

providing stronger links between clubs and schools.

* Promotion of women's and girls' cricket.

* Providing more trained coaches, and a higher standard of coaching for youngsters.

* Increased training opportunities for teachers, coaches, groundsmen, umpires and scorers.

* Development of cricket for people with disabilities.

*Identifying talented players and helping their development

* Providing representative cricket at county and district level for the best young cricketers.