Howzat for a sustainable cricket club?

An Island cricket club will be pushing the boundaries of sustainable ground-keeping thanks to a £10,000 grant from Wightlink.

Northwood Cricket Club has been given money through the ferry company’s Green Innovation Fund. The cash will allow the club to install a rainwater harvesting system so it can water its playing square using rainwater harvested from the roof during downpours.

Having a healthy pitch, however dry the weather, will enable the club to host more matches and training activities including sessions for scores of local children.

“Is a bit ironic really. Rain usually stops play but it this case, it will help us manage our ground in a much more sustainable way and bring it into even greater community use,” said Martyn Richard, Northwood CC committee member who successfully applied for the Wightlink grant.

“This system will save tens of thousands of litres of mains water over the course of a season and it was also save us money as we will use free rainwater rather than paying for the supply.

“In the season, we have to water our square at least once a week for many hours, and as climate change brings warmer summers the requirement to do this will only increase so this new system is incredibly important.”

Besides the rainwater harvesting, the Wightlink grant will fund other projects to make the club more sustainable including converting urinals to waterless models, the planting of native species to encourage biodiversity, installing new LED lighting in the clubhouse and using new recycling bins in front of the club for public use.

Louise Lea, Wightlink PR and brand manager, said: “Northwood CC organises a variety of cricket matches and activities throughout the summer, catering for all adults, children and women’s and girls’ teams.

“We were incredibly impressed not only by its determination to be a vibrant and inclusive part of the local community but also to its commitment to doing do in the most sustainable way possible.”

The Wightlink Green Innovation Fund was created to encourage Island communities to push boundaries and advance towards the world’s sustainability goals. It is part our commitment to running a sustainable business by working closely with the local community.

Wightlink launched the Fund in 2022, initially to schools. Fifteen Isle of Wight primaries received a share of the £10,000 fund to support local environmental projects. In 2023 several secondary schools and colleges benefited from funding towards more projects. In 2024 and 2025 the company offered our grants to the wider community.

Photograph: Martin Gulliver, Wightlink Island Port Operations Manager with young cricketers l-r Alfie, Miles, Jenson (the tall one) and Ezra with Martyn Richard.