Thanks to the New Opportunities Fund for PE and Sport, six Nottinghamshire schools will receive a plastic Flicx Pitch in the first wave.

The artificial pitches provide an even and consistent bounce and can be placed on sports fields, playgrounds or even car parks with very little preparation, allowing schools without the facilities to produce natural wickets to introduce cricket into their PE lessons.

Notts Cricket Development Manager David Tighe said: "Schools generally and Primary Schools particularly have historically had problems with a lack of decent playing surfaces for cricket but the introduction of the Flicx pitch has given cricket in this environment a new lease of life.

"School and Club partnerships will go from strength to strength where the schools have a Flicx pitch. Children will be able to play and be taught the skills of the game on a true surface."

The schools chosen are: Papplewick Primary, Berry Hill Primary in Mansfield, Underwood Primary in Selston, Lake View Primary in Rainworth, Brookside Primary in East Leake and Awsworth Primary in Awsworth Village.

The schools will link up with local Focus Cricket Clubs to give youngsters access to lessons from qualified ECB coaches, with the Flicx pitches able to split in half if necessary to increase the amount of cricket played during lesson time.

More Nottinghamshire schools are scheduled to benefit from Flicx pitches later in the year.