Avoncroft Cricket Club

Avoncroft celebrates the return of cricket

Cricket is finally back at Avoncroft CC with junior training on April 16 followed a day later by the first adult league fixtures.

By the first weekend of May, all adult and junior sides will be kicking off their competitive programme of matches so there will be plenty of cricket for players, members, supporters and casual observers to enjoy.

As in all walks of life, cricket is subject to the requirement to follow the government’s Covid guidelines which means that, until May 17th at the earliest, no spectators are allowed at recreational cricket games other than for safeguarding or caring responsibilities unless they are accessing hospitality offerings.

Luckily for those wishing to visit Avoncroft CC, the club have invested heavily in re-developing our bar and social areas over the winter and, although indoor hospitality is not yet on offer, the club will be offering outdoor bar hospitality in line with government regulations. The club is therefore happy to welcome members and spectators alike to enjoy its hospitality over the coming weeks and months.

Following a significant demand for junior cricket training, places on junior programmes are filling up fast. There are some spaces still available in most age groups so any new players wishing to join are encouraged to visit www. avoncroftcc.co.uk or the club’s Facebook page for more information.

There is plenty going on off the pitch too. Energetic social secretary Jason Huxley has already set provisional dates for the club’s social calendar including regular Friday night barbecues with our chef Marco Pierre Cound, a grand bar reopening on May 21st, a pig racing night on June 25th and a real ale and jazz weekend on July 2nd and 3rd.

Further July extravaganzas will include bingo, a Paul Athey quiz and a gin tasting night, with September offering a horse racing evening and an all-star comedy show.

The club intends to encourage full member participation in keeping everyone together as an active and social organisation, which is self-sufficient and will not have to rely on grants and handouts to sustain its growth.

A few new members have been welcomed, but the club is always open to players looking for enjoyable cricket. It is also delighted to welcome back into the fold Chris Pitt, who has decided the sylvan Stoke Heath setting is preferable to the seductive siren call of the Cotswolds.

After last year’s floods and difficulty with ground preparation, the picture is now hugely improved. Led enterprisingly by increasingly knowledgeable ground superintendent Mark Taylor, the venue is a pastoral pleasure.

Thanks are also due to the majority of dog walkers who enjoy their exercise with dogs on their leads and respect the needs of the club to keep the ground safe and healthy. The season is welcomed with great pleasure and optimism.

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