Indoor nets let you bat and bowl all year, and they're busiest from January to April as clubs and players get ready for the season. You hire a lane, usually by the hour, and use it however you like.
Types of venue
- Indoor cricket schools at county grounds and clubs: full-length lanes with run-ups, often with coaching available.
- Bowling-machine lanes, including tech-led centres such as HiTZ and Batfast, where a machine or simulator bowls at you and cameras replay your shots.
- Sports halls and domes with roll-out nets, often run by leisure centres and schools.
Booking
Most centres take online bookings; some still book by phone. Check whether the lane includes a bowling machine, whether balls are supplied, and whether hard balls are allowed. Some halls only allow softer indoor balls.
What to bring
Bat, pads, gloves, box and helmet if you're batting against hard balls; trainers or rubber-soled shoes rather than spikes, which aren't allowed on indoor surfaces; and water. Many centres hire kit, so call ahead if you need it.
Find a lane: cricket nets near me.
Questions
Can I wear spikes in indoor nets?
No. Indoor surfaces need flat rubber-soled shoes.
Do indoor nets have bowling machines?
Many do, especially dedicated centres. Check the venue page or ask when booking.