Sussex believe they have laid firm foundations for a bright future after they were one of six counties to be awarded youth academy status by the ECB this week.

Fourteen counties applied, but Sussex were the only successful applicant in the south east. The other academies will be run by Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Durham, Yorkshire and Somerset.

A director of the academy will be appointed in September and the first intake of youngsters, aged from 13-18 years, will be enrolled later in the autumn.

Sussex's successful bid was based on their ambitious plans to improve the practice facilities at the County Ground.

Chief Executive Dave Gilbert is confident the new six-lane indoor nets on the site of the old squash club will be in use in 12 months time. The club hope to receive planning permission for the £750,000 project next month.

Then there is the new youth ground at Black-stone. The fundraising campaign Cricket Year Zero has so far raised £220,000 towards the projected cost of £500,000. Sussex have applied for lottery cash and fundraising will continue throughout the year with a view to starting work next year.

Gilbert said: "We are under a certain amount of pressure to get the work on the new indoor school started because one of the conditions of the licence was that everything would be in place by next April.

"But it's a real feather in our cap, especially as we are the only county to be awarded academy status in the south east."

The ECB will give each academy £50,000 a year to help towards running costs with half of that money going towards the director's salary. Sussex spent £35,000 on youth development last year and the cash is a welcome boost.

Gilbert added: "Chris Waller, our academy director, has done a magnificent job with limited funds. The cash from the ECB doesn't mean we're suddenly awash with money but it will help."

Identifying the first intake of youngsters has already begun. Gilbert hopes they will all come from Sussex, but admits the net will be cast wider to identify talent.

"We've only just been told that we have been granted academy status so a lot of the details are still to be thrashed out," he said.

"The director will be responsible for bringing in experts on all the different facets of modern cricket such as their diet, nutrition and financial and time management as well, of course, as the cricketing skills specialists.

"And we have to make sure their own education at school isn't compromised by their commitments to the academy.

"But the whole thing is a real step forward for the club. It's all tied in with the work we are trying to do to improve the facilities at Hove. And hopefully it will help us to produce more Sussex youngsters for the first-class game in the future."