Christchurch, Feb 29 (PTI) The Canterbury Cricket Trust, in its bid to create a state- of-the-art facility for the community's talented cricketers, will be building a sports centre, which will be named after the country's greatest player, Sir Richard Hadlee.

The Hadlee Sports Facility, to be built at the Hagley Oval, is the trust's second project, after the Hadlee Pavilion.

For Hadlee, who is a cancer survivor, it is his dream to see the project up and running in his lifetime.

In fact, on behalf of the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust, a donation of 800,000 New Zealand dollars was made to the Canterbury Cricket Trust to speed up work on the project.

"To know that thousands of people will use this facility to enhance their skill and grow their love for cricket is a wonderful legacy that I am proud to be part of," Hadlee said.

Hadlee hoped that the proposed sports centre will not only complement the current facilities at the ground but also help in growth and development of the project in Canterbury where the seeds of nurturing future Black Caps and White Ferns will be sown.

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