Big boost for cricket clubs in need of financial support from the floods

Optus has partnered with the Shane Warne Memorial Foundation to help kick-start the local season which has been plagued by wet weather and COVID-19 restrictions for the past two seasons.

"This money will help a lot of clubs get back on their feet," Lismore District Cricket Association president Craig Hamshaw said.

"Juniors are integral to keep our competition going, without kids coming through cricket would really struggle.

"It's very much appreciated and it will get us up and running for next season.

"Most of the clubs are un-financial at the moment; they've missed out on player fees and sponsorship dollars.

"You would expect sponsorship dollars are going to be thin on the ground with the local business community hurting as they are.

"Last year was a pretty horrible year and it ended fairly abruptly with other priorities on people's minds

"We haven't done anything since then, a lot of the facilities we use have been damaged and lost, so this will give us a kick-start to the season.

"It would be great to make sure we get kids back on the field and that we get the return of those people who have been impacted."

New covers which cost about $2000 each will be purchased for the three turf wickets which were destroyed in the flood.

Lismore has produced its fair share of cricket talent over the years from the local junior ranks.

Cricket legend Adam Gilchrist played all his teenage years in the region while Lismore also produced the likes of Tom Cooper and Simon Milenko who went on to play first-class cricket around Australia.

"We've got a quite a number of kids who have gone on to play first grade cricket across the country," Hamshaw said.

"It has been a pretty good nursery over the years; last season alone we had players on the Gold Coast and a couple in Sydney and one in Perth as well.

"We're lucky that a lot of clubs have great volunteers who are getting clubs up and running again."

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Optus worked with the Lismore City Council to install a Pop up store and were one of the first businesses to become operational at the Magellan Street hub.

They have been helping residents get back on their feet arranging free new phones, battery banks and mobile recharges.

The Lismore investment forms part of Optus' commitment to junior cricket, pledging $100,000 this year Australia-wide to honour the legacy of Shane Warne and help to further cricket across the country.

"For us it's about providing that grassroots support and working in with what we've done during the flood response," Optus Regional General Manager Chris Simon said.

"To give the kids an opportunity to play when their parents might not have been able to afford it is really pleasing.

"We know sport is one of the foundation that ties the community together, so to be able support them and work in with the Shane Warne Memorial group is fantastic."