"DEADLY" Derek Underwood might not have extracted much turn from Blackheath Cricket Club's new synthetic pitches, but that did not stop Sport England investing nearly £40,000 in them.

Bromley-born Underwood, arguably Kent and England's finest ever spin bowler, attended last Friday's grand opening of Blackheath CC's impressive facilities at the Samuel Montague Youth Centre ground in Kidbrooke.

Also present and correct were representatives from Sport England and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which allocated the club a grant of £39,262 from the government's £9.4m community club development programme.

The money was spent on three new practice nets and an all-weather strip on the square.

The facilities will be used mainly by the club for the development of its junior academy but will also be open to local schools and district sides, thus becoming the focus for youth cricket in the borough.

Chairman of Blackheath CC's junior committee Chris Swadkin said: "We're delighted to have been helped out by the ECB in this way and are most grateful for the grant and their support.

"The synthetic practice pitches are excellent and will provide safe playing surfaces, which are so crucial to the development of young players.

"We will also be able to increase participation in the sport at a junior level, and will work closely with the surrounding schools.

"These new facilities are truly an investment for the future of cricket, both at the club in particular and the wider borough."

The community club development programme is a funding package developed by Sport England in conjunction with the Government to build stronger links between the country's leading clubs and their surrounding communities.

The funds are then allocated to the ECB to distribute to the clubs of their choice.

Blackheath CC was chosen by the ECB as a particularly worthy cause because of the strength of its junior section.

Sport England chief executive Roger Draper said: "We're delighted to be able to make this award to Blackheath, as the new facility is key to the development of cricket in the local area.

"The community club development programme represents a new way of working for Sport England, whereby national organisations are involved in the initial selection of possible projects that should receive funding.

"This sort of programme is an innovative way of helping to ensure community clubs the heart of grass roots sports development in the country receive the investment they need. We hope the club goes from strength to strenth with the help of these new facilities."