A new centre of cricketing excellence has been opened in Exeter, providing first-rate facilities to cricketers from across the South-West.
The facility is on a par with Somerset County Cricket Club's indoor centre and is a first for Devon.
The project cost £2.3 million, of which £1.5 million was funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Former England captain Mike Gatting opened the centre along with the current ECB chairman Giles Clarke.
The building at the University of Exeter means that promising youngsters from across Devon and Cornwall will no longer face a trip to Taunton for help improving their skills, technique and cricketing knowledge.
Gatting told BBC Spotlight that the new centre will benefit many different groups of cricketers.
He said: "Having somewhere that's not miles and miles away is so important.
"Facilities like this can do a huge amount to help young cricketers and certainly for the women's game it will be huge.
"And disability cricket has now taken off in many forms as well, so this will be another centre that we'll be able to use," he added.
The new centre is completely dedicated to cricket training, with bowling machines, permanent nets, and video technology all part of the set up.
Despite being a minor county, Gatting praised the Devon Cricket Board for their work in developing young players in recent years.
He said: "The DCB has been one of the bright lights of cricket especially in the South West and to have a facility here in the heart of Exeter is very impressive because they've earned it."
In Adil Rashid, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann we've got three decent spinners and I'm not so sure the Australians have
Former England captain Mike Gatting
With the 2009 Ashes series set to start in Cardiff on Wednesday, interest in the game is expected to receive a boost over the coming months.
And Gatting was confident the England team will inspire youngsters across the country to pick up a bat by winning the series.
The former England skipper said: "I think it's going to be tremendously close but it's going to be edged by England.
"You talk about who edges which department and probably for a long time we haven't be able to say we edge the Australians in the spin department."
"But I think in Adil Rashid, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann we've got three decent spinners and I'm not so sure the Australians have.
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