sport
Altona Cricket Club Opens New Practice Nets at J.K. Grant Reserve
The upgraded practice area gives local players extra options as they prepare for matches this season.
How we reported this
Altona Cricket Club has a fresh set of practice nets in place at J.K. Grant Reserve, giving the side a dedicated space to sharpen skills ahead of weekend fixtures.
The timing lines up with clubs across the area looking to build match readiness after the winter break. Better training surfaces mean players can work on technique and fitness in a setting that mirrors game conditions, which matters when sides line up for the first rounds of the summer schedule.
The work sits at the club’s established home ground in Altona, where members already use the existing turf nets for sessions. Adding the new synthetic section creates a combined area that can switch between formats depending on the group training that day.
Breakdown of the upgrade
The project added a six-wicket synthetic net facility alongside the four-wicket turf nets already on site. Retractable netting lets the space serve multiple groups at once without interfering with each other. Funding came through a state government program contribution, support from the local council and an amount from Cricket Australia, according to coverage in the Maribyrnong Hobsons Bay Star Weekly.
How it affects this week’s play
With the nets now open, Altona sides have been able to run longer drills and include more juniors in the same session. The setup supports safer footing for younger players and gives the women’s and girls’ programs room to expand without clashing with senior groups. That extra capacity shows up on the field when teams take the park later in the week, as bowlers and batters arrive with more recent time on the surface. The club can now schedule back-to-back sessions on the same afternoon, cutting down travel for families and keeping more participants involved through the early weeks of the season.
Coaches at Altona expect the change to help with rotation of players and reduce wear on the turf areas during peak training periods. Local sides using the reserve this weekend will have had access to both surfaces in the lead-up, giving them a clearer picture of how the ball behaves under different conditions before they step onto the match pitch.