A record number of Nottinghamshire primaryschools are set to benefit from Trent Bridge's Cricket in theCommunity Scheme this winter.

More than 170 schools have signed up forvisits from coaching staff, and it's all designed to create potential cricketersof the future.

Cricket Development Officer Eddie Burkesaid: "Each school will receive three visits for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.

"Sessions with groups in Years 3 and 4 willfocus on the generic physical skills of movement, balance and co-ordination,while Years 5 and 6 will receive cricket-specific coaching on their batting,bowling and fielding.

"Those skills are taught through games anddrills designed to ensure the youngsters are all actively involved and havingfun, at the same time as putting in place the building blocks of Long TermAthlete Development."

In May it was announced that thousands ofchildren in the county were set to benefit from extra cricket coaching thanksto an extension of the deal between Notts and their official team sponsor PKF.

As part of the new two-year contract signed last winter, the Nottingham-basedaccountants and business advisers are paying to train new cricket coaches -with the investment doubled thanks to Sportsmatch, the government-funded schemeset up to help fund grass roots and community sports in England.

The money will go towards primary schoolinset days for teachers, partnership links at grassroots level with localcricket clubs and places on official UKCC coach education courses.

Burke added: "Each year we look to furtherlinks with schools and encourage teachers to use cricket within the curriculum.

"With the new equipment and resources nowavailable to them through the funding from PKF, that should become easier to doand increase the development of cricket in schools."