A £50,000 project to improve dilapidated facilities at a village cricket club is underway.

Etherley Cricket Club was on “the brink” in 2011 after their member numbers dwindled and had previously being rejected twice by Sport England for funding to update their worn-out wooden pavilion and changing rooms.

But it was third time lucky for the trustees of the Miners’ Welfare ground, which secured £50,000 from the agency’s Inspired Facilities Olympic legacy fund, as part of the National Lottery.

The money is being used to rebuild the 80-year-old changing rooms which have reached the end of their useful lives and work is now underway at the grounds, which also has a cricket pitch, football pitch and an all-weather games area with tennis and basketball facilities.

Club trustee, John Raw, said it was a bleak forecast for the club in 2011 but that the funding would allow the club to have a much brighter future.

“The club has been quite successful but in 2010/11 it was fading away to the point where it no longer had enough people to play and it dropped out of the league,” he said.

“We had two failed funding attempts but we have had £50,000 from Sport England and we have had several other fundraising events and now have an additional £4000 from our local councillors which we have used this to demolish the old cricket pavilion which was perished.”

Mr Raw said work was well underway to install the new brick pavilion which would provide new changing rooms, toilets and a disable-friendly ramp, and hopefully be finished next spring.

The cricket pitch is home to Etherley CC Juniors, which runs three teams, and King James CC, who play in the Darlington and District League.

After a two-year absence, Etherley CC has also relaunched a senior team.

Membership has also risen from just 13 children to 68 and the club has now been accepted back into the league.

“It’s really gratifying that we have been successful,” he added.

“In terms of local cricket it’s been great to see that it’s been brought back from the brink, especially because it is has become the hub of the community after the local shop, post office and pub have all gone to the wall.”

A spokesman for Sport England said: “We’re delighted to support this project with funds from the National Lottery and are confident it will serve local people for years to come.”

To get involved email Mr Raw at jraw2883@aol.com.