THE ENGLAND and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a fresh £2 million investment in programmes aimed at engaging black and south Asian communities and state-educated children.

The funding will be directed to five of the governing body’s partner charities over the next two-and-a-half years, forming part of the ECB’s response to a damning report published earlier this year.

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, helmed by Cindy Butts, diagnosed structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination in the game and called for wide-ranging measures to address issues of inclusivity.