When Lancashire County Cricket Club walked out to face Kent in the Metro Bank One Day Cup on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, the sound of leather hitting willow signaled more than just another fixture in a packed domestic calendar. It marked the opening competitive match at AO Farington in South Ribble—the first brand-new ground to host first-class English cricket since Hampshire opened the Rose Bowl in 2001.
Modelled roughly on the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, the £20m facility sits off Stanifield Lane near the convergence of the M6 and M65 motorways. Five years after the club first identified a pressing need for a second home to alleviate fixture congestion at Emirates Old Trafford, the two-year construction project by Eric Wright Construction has finally materialized into a dual-oval, figure-eight complex capable of accommodating around 5,000 spectators.
The Dual-Oval Architecture and Public-Private Mechanics
The layout at Farington breaks traditional county infrastructure models by dividing its footprint into two distinct spheres:
- The Professional Oval: Designed for men's and women's competitive fixtures, including County Championship and T20 matches. While capacity is rated at 5,000, initial fixtures against Kent and the Notts Outlaws utilized restricted crowds of roughly 1,000 to 2,000 as operational trial runs.
- The Community Oval: Dedicated entirely to recreational, youth, and local school cricket. Operated via the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, it guarantees over 750 hours of community access annually.
The financial architecture behind the venue relies on a genuine public-private partnership. Lancashire County Council provided a subsidy valued at £9.7m toward the development, leading to a 250-year lease agreement with the club. In exchange for the council's backing, accessibility for local schools and community groups remains a binding contractual requirement.
“When I arrived, the secondary community pitch was just full of boys and girls playing cricket, having fun and being healthy. We are so lucky to have this in the heart of Farington,”
Paul Foster, South Ribble MP
Commercial Alignment and the 10-Year AO Partnership
Complementing the council's investment is a 10-year naming rights and pathway partnership with electrical retailer AO. Having previously supported Lancashire's talent pathways since 2023, AO’s decade-long commitment aims to help over 150,000 young people enter the sport.
Mark Chilton, Lancashire Cricket’s director of cricket performance, emphasized the strategic importance of the site's geography:
“The beauty of the place is that it is in the heart of the county, making it very accessible. It’s an elite facility that people will have access to... we’re hoping it will be a huge factor in enticing people to try the sport.”
Mark Chilton, Director of Cricket Performance
Tom Bailey, a Lancashire bowler who grew up locally in Preston and progressed through the Vernon Carus Cricket Club grassroots system, noted the stark contrast between his own development and what current prospects will experience:
“If I’d had something like this growing up, it would have been incredible. Young players from Preston, South Ribble and the surrounding area will be able to play on the Community Oval, watch Lancashire players in action, and hopefully be inspired to follow the pathway into professional cricket.”
Tom Bailey, Lancashire Bowler
Future-Proofing: Training Domes and Women's Excellence
Beyond the two ovals and the central pavilion—which features four changing rooms, fitness facilities, and both indoor and outdoor net configurations—the infrastructure continues to expand. Construction is underway on an indoor dome training facility funded partially by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Slated for winter completion, it becomes England's second indoor cricket dome, following the precedent set at Bradford's Park Avenue ground two years prior.
Furthermore, AO Farington serves as a designated Women’s Centre of Excellence for the North West region. Following the initial men's One-Day Cup matches in July, the venue is scheduled to host Lancashire Women fixtures against Surrey and Durham in September, anchoring the club's commitment to the women's professional game while preserving traditional outgrounds like Liverpool, Southport and Birkdale, Blackpool, and Sedbergh School.
Sources
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- bbc.co.uk original
- mingooland original
- Paul Faulkner original
- Chris Riches original
- lep.co.uk original
- Olivia Fletcher original
- sports.yahoo.com original
