About the Dorset Cricket Centre
Cricket Centre with indoor nets, bowling machine, used for local indoor leagues throughout the year.
Our Mission
The Centre has two main objectives. We aim to:
- provide good facilities to give enjoyment for all our users, whether young and old, male or female
- to ensure that Dorset cricket continues to attract keen young players and that standards continue to improve.
What areas do we serve?
We are based at Hurn Bridge Sports Club near Bournemouth Airport, two minutes drive from the Blackwater Junction of the A338.
Our postcode for SatNav is BH23 6DY.
We are located on the north east of the South East Dorset conurbation comprising Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne and Ferndown.
The Dorset Cricket Centre serves a local population of half a million people in those towns, the Eastern half of Dorset and the New Forest part of Hampshire.
Who can use our facilities?
Bookings are welcome from Individuals, Groups, Clubs, Schools & Businesses.
We also accept bookings for other activities like Children’s Parties, Fitness Classes, Walking Football or any activities that require an Indoor Venue.
Hurn Bridge Sports Club with Dorset Cricket Club building & indoor cricket facilities to the right.
Photo credit: Bournemouth Echo
Brief History of the Dorset Cricket Centre
The Dorset Cricket Centre traces its origins back to an unlikely event, the purchase of a new dustcart by Christchurch Borough Council in the early 1980s!
At that time the founder of the Centre, Richard Mockridge, was Borough Engineer, and responsible for the purchase of this vehicle, which by virtue of its size required a bigger garage than the one at Stanpit that housed it at that time. With the blessing and support of the Council, amongst other bodies, the newly redundant garage was converted into an indoor cricket centre that was opened by England Test Bowler Bob Willis in 1985.
Such was its success that it soon outgrew the old building, and it became apparent that a new, much larger, hall was required.
Through Richard’s drive and tenacity, and financial backing from The Foundation for Sports and the Arts, The Sports Council, Christchurch Borough Council, NatWest Bank and The Dorset Playing Fields Association, the present centre was built and officially opened in 1994 by the great West Indian cricketer Clive Lloyd. Since then additional facilities have been provided within the building to give a Training/Meeting Room, a cricket library, viewing area and additional office space.