Four regional newspapers have won funding to help their coverage of professional cricket in the forthcoming year.

The Nottingham Post, Cornwall’s Sunday Independent and Newcastle-based titles The Journal and Sunday Sun have been awarded a share of a £2,500 fund, which was first launched last year and is administered by the Cricket Writers’ Club as part of the County Cricket Journalism Awards.

The awards, run by the England and Wales Cricket Board, celebrate the reporting of the sport at professional level by both national and local media.

The Post was awarded 2017’s Regional Newspaper of the Year prize for its “imaginative and innovative coverage” of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, who won two domestic limited overs titles over the summer.

As well as conventional match reports and features the Post, a runner-up in the category in 2016, added podcast interviews with current players and coaches to its coverage.

Mark Baldwin, chairman of the Cricket Writers’ Club, said: “We are delighted that ECB continue to make these awards, which underline the importance of high-quality media coverage of our domestic game.

“Winning significant editorial space for the domestic game across all media platforms is vital for cricket’s overall health in England and Wales.

“For a second year, the Cricket Writers’ Club’s overall support for these awards includes the provision of a prize fund for the Regional Newspaper of the Year category, precisely because we as a club want to do what we can to support coverage of county and domestic cricket.

“The monies that the Nottingham Post, The Journal and the Sunday Sun, and the Sunday Independent receive are designed to supplement coverage of the county game by their staff writers or regular freelance contributors, and I would like to thank CWC sponsors William Hill, The Lord’s Taverners, Smile Group Travel and Benenden Health for the support which makes our prize fund offer possible.”