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English cricket is one of several sports to benefit from a £300m summer sports recovery package confirmed in Wednesday's budget.

Distributed with the help of Sport England, and made up mostly of loans, the new funding for those sports most impacted by restrictions on spectator attendance follows a £300m sport 'winter survival package' last year.

Sports have been forced behind closed doors for most of the last year, suffering severe losses as a result.

An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesperson said: "We welcome the government's intention to extend the support given to winter sports so that cricket and other summer sports are given a financial safety net and are able to bid as well.

"Playing behind closed doors for all of last season has already had a severe financial impact on cricket, and that will continue this year until full crowds are able to return."

Last year the ECB said it feared the pandemic could eventually cost it £380m, and announced a raft of job cuts.

Asked about funding for cricket from the budget package, England captain Joe Root said on Wednesday: "If it's going to benefit the game all the way down that's fantastic.

"It's really important we all do everything we can to look after the game from top to bottom."