Soggy March fails to thwart Croft’s preseason preparations

Despite the weather that led to one of the wettest Marches on record spreading well into the middle of April, the members at Avoncroft Cricket Club have been doing what they can to get ready for the 2023 season.

Following a water leak over Christmas that caused extensive damage in the pavilion, significant refurbishment work has seen pipes mended, electrics replaced, walls plastered and painted, and new carpets laid.

This massive effort has meant that the pavilion and bar will be fully operational from the start of the season, so spectators are welcome to drop by and see the new and improved surroundings.

Things have been just as damp out on the ground, but with fewer immediate solutions outside of waiting for the sun to come out! With a flooded outfield making it impossible to even get the ground machinery out of the garage, Croft’s ground team have been limited in the pre-season work that they could complete however the sun over the Easter weekend gave a glimpse of how beautiful the ground will look as soon as it starts to dry out.

With Croft’s first game of the season rained off, their home opener has been pushed back to April 29th, assuming things have started to dry out by then!

The wet weather has also put the start of the junior season at risk of being delayed however, with the prospect of warmer weather to come, Friday evenings should see the return of 100+ boys and girls developing their cricket skills.

If you are interested in getting your son or daughter involved in cricket, please get in touch with junior co-ordinator Paul Athey at paul.athey@nhs.net or, if aged five to eight, check out the All Stars cricket programme at www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars

by Paul Athey