A YOUNG man from East Lancashire has shrugged off the recession to open up his own cricket supplies store.

Eighteen-year-old Daniel Dyson, of Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle, opened Hyndburn Cricket Supplies last month and is confident the venture will not fall victim to the economic downturn.

Mr Dyson, a former pupil of Ryddings Business and Enterprise School, shared his vision with his parents who eventually agreed to fund a large part of the project along with a grant from Hyndburn Enterprise Trust.

He said: “It was an idea I put to my parents.

“It took a couple of days to convince them it would work but it’s going great. I get excited by the fact that this one day will be big but we have to take it one day at a time.”

The inspiration for the store came from Mr Dyson’s own concerns about the small amount of places where he could purchase cricket equipment and the large number of teams there are in East Lancashire.

He said: “There is a lot of cricket on our doorstep and I think that Accrington needed it. We are growing, getting better and looking forward to the future”

Even though the store was opened half way through the current season it has seen a steady trade and Mr Dyson, who studied to be a car mechanic at Blackburn College, is confident that the business will continue to grow year on year, with the help of his parents, who give up their time at the weekends to lend a hand.

Members of Church and Oswaldtwistle Cricket Club, where Mr Dyson has played for the past four years, are firmly behind the venture and will provide a steady trade for the store for seasons to come.

Phil Gilmore, club captain, said: “I think he’s really brave.

"He’s got the backing of his family and it is something that he wants to do.

“He’s opened up at a difficult time being mid-season but I am sure all the lads will back him to the hilt and next year it will start to bear fruit.”