AO Farington Cricket Ground opens it's doors to community and county cricket
AO Farington Cricket Ground has officially opened, creating a new home for professional, community and youth cricket in Lancashire.
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The opening was marked with a community launch event bringing together young players, local schools, project partners and Lancashire Cricket to celebrate the new facility. The day also saw the first cricket played across both ovals, with Lancashire’s Under-16 Boys taking on Yorkshire in a 50-over fixture on the professional oval, while more than 300 girls took part in a Dynamos schools’ event on the Community Oval. Lancashire players Tom Bailey and Summer Carrington joined the celebrations, meeting young cricketers and taking part in activities throughout the day.
Designed by BDP in partnership with Lancashire County Cricket Club, Lancashire County Council and the England & Wales Cricket Board, AO Farington Cricket Ground has been created to support the changing needs of the game, providing a dedicated venue for professional cricket alongside facilities that encourage more people to take part.
Cricket continues to grow and evolve. The rise of new formats, including T20 and The Hundred, alongside a growing international fixture calendar and the increasing visibility of the women’s game, has created new opportunities but also placed greater pressure on established cricket venues. Farington forms part of Lancashire Cricket’s long-term ambition to provide the space needed to support the next generation of players while creating a welcoming place for communities to enjoy the sport.
The project builds on BDP’s long-standing relationship with Lancashire Cricket, following more than 15 years of collaboration on the transformation of Emirates Old Trafford into a multi-functional international cricket and events venue. While Old Trafford’s redevelopment has focused on maximising the potential of a major urban stadium, Farington presented a different challenge: creating a high-quality cricket ground that sits sensitively within its rural setting.
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AO Farington Cricket Ground features two ovals at its heart: a professional-standard ground capable of hosting county fixtures, and a dedicated Community Oval designed for grassroots, recreational and youth cricket. The site also includes outdoor practice nets and an indoor cricket dome, with a pavilion positioned between the two grounds completing the development.
The landscape-led approach preserves the character of the site, retaining mature trees and hedgerows while introducing biodiverse grasslands, native planting and more than 200 new trees. These elements help create a sheltered environment for cricket while enhancing the wider ecology of the site.
“Cricket is changing. The game is reaching new audiences, new formats are bringing fresh energy, and there is a growing need for facilities that support both elite performance and community participation.
“Farington is a special place. The challenge was to create a venue that feels at home in its landscape while providing the quality of facilities needed for professional cricket. The two ovals, the pavilion and the wider landscape have been designed to work together as a place where players, families, schools and communities can all feel welcome.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside Lancashire Cricket over many years, and Farington represents another important step in supporting the future of the game.”
Delivered by the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, the venue will provide more than 750 hours of community cricket activity each year. It will also become Lancashire Cricket’s second home, hosting four First Team Metro Bank One-Day Cup fixtures during the 2026 season.