Hot news - club member now believes in miracles!

Extract from David Dooley's opening remarks at the NatWest CricketForce@Sawley & Long Eaton Park CC Progress Meeting at West Park Leisure Centre on 10th February 2011.

'Last  Sunday at practice I asked a 3rd XI player was he looking forward to the coming season. The reply was somewhat unexpected - 'not if it is like last season and certainly not at home'.

He recounted - 'no electricity, no hot water, changing and eating tea in the dark in a pavilion with no natural light. And outside things were no better - the balustrade on the viewing veranda seemed to disappear piece by piece as the season progressed until the roof began to subside. Even on the pitch things did not improve with only one sight screen - as one had been commandeered by the 1st XI - and the remaining was bent as if in homage to the players'. Perhaps the sight screen had it right.

Y8 students from Wilsthorpe School making a DVD event record

He finished despondently - 'I wonder what impressions visiting teams took away with them, and would parents want to bring their youngsters to such an environment to learn their cricket skills'.

I said to him,' if you invest just £20 in the club all those issues and more could be adressed'. He replied, 'I don't believe in miracles'. But NatWest CricketForce is probably going to deliver that miracle at the club.

Lafarge aggregate arriving for the enlarged patio

A restored electricity supply, enlarged and decorated social area with two UPVC viewing windows, a restored balustrade in brick with security grill protection and two new sight screens and more - an enlarged patio at a newly decorated inside/outside main pavilion, a ramp to our store room, a three pitch rain cover and a mobile net for us to use on our grass wickets or the newly installed non-turf pitch.

In fact if we take the estimated value of the work being undertaken by NatWest CricketForce and divide it by the club membership of 150 [65 seniors and 85 juniors] - then each member is benefiting from £400 of investment - for a £20 contribution - a fantastic return. And in fact that £20 can be invested in the NatWest CricketForce Super Prize Draw [see club secretary Arthur Winfield] with the potential to win a holiday in the Mediterranean.

It was no surprise when my 3rd XI friend said, 'perhaps NatWest CricketForce really does deliver miracles'.