Appleton
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season to be tough as a couple of players moved on and a few established players took planned breaks during 2016 for a variety of reasons .
“ However we did recruit over the winter and our playing membership has actually increased in 2017 which is extremely positive . With our established players committing to a full season in 2018 I am confident that 2017 will be seen as a year of stabilisation and the platform for future success .
“ We have a forward looking Committee led by a proactive Chair and the development of young players is at the core of what we do . Our Chair was committed to getting the ECB All Stars initiative off the ground at Appleton and was supported by one of our senior players Ed Pugh and our Junior coordinator Andy Jackson , who both ran excellent coaching sessions .
“ Feedback from the parents was very positive and a few of the older All Stars have already started to train with our regular Juniors on a Thursday evening . We run boys ’ and girls ’ teams for all ages from seven upwards . We liaise with local schools and local sports development offices to ensure clear pathways into sport for all those wanting to get involved . We will be sponsoring two or three volunteers to become new ECB Level 2 coaches over the forthcoming winter , to support our Junior programme .
“ For 2018 , we are going to establish a Women ’ s 2nd XI in the Cheshire Women ’ s Cricket Development League . This is to provide a pathway for older girls 13 +, some who have been with us a number of years , to experience senior cricket at an appropriate level . This initiative was proposed by our Women ’ s 1st XI Captain Nat Long , as means of ensuring the longevity of our Women ’ s team , providing opportunities for players to develop and gain the necessary skills to play in our Women ’ s 1st XI and become the stars of the future .
“ We are a community club passionate about increasing participation in the sport for males and females of all ages and abilities . We engage and promote local business through a range of sponsorship arrangements . We interact with the community and councillors by providing cricket workshops at local festivals during the summer .
“ Our facilities at our main Lyons Lane ground are available for anyone to use and this year we have hosted Cricket Development Courses , educational science workshops , children ’ s birthday parties and children ’ s play groups during school holidays . We are adjacent to Bridgewater High School who also use our ground for sports lessons in the summer .
“ We are continually looking at ways to improve our facilities to offer the best value for money for our members and ensure that we retain our existing membership base , whilst attracting new players to the Club . I referred earlier to recent developments in the past four years and the list does not stop there .
“ We need to maintain the standard of the equipment and facilities we have and improve them in other areas . A project at the top of our list is to undertake a significant programme of work to remove some minor undulations from parts of the outfield and install a modern drainage system . All developments we have undertaken have been carefully assessed , planned and executed to ensure their success . This will be no exception and we are currently only in the investigatory stage , so watch this space .
“ Appleton CC has been in existence for just over forty years and our history has been one of simple existence for the first twenty years followed by a steady programme of growth from 1997 , building a Junior section , a women and girls section , a 3rd team , a 4th team and securing use of a second ground to enable us to field four Saturday teams .
“ In addition , we have developed our ground at Lyons Lane beyond recognition from where it was twenty years ago . None of this has been easy considering we are a mile away from two of the biggest cricket clubs in Cheshire . Our biggest challenge is to maintain this momentum of continuous improvement from both a financial and participatory perspective . We are starting the next phase from a position of strength , but have seen many local cricket clubs fold over the last twenty years . As a Club are well aware of the need to maintain our focus and drive . “ Over the next five years our ambitions are to :
• Secure one promotion each for our 1st XI and 2nd XI
• Establish a Women ’ s 2nd XI
• Increase the number of junior members , ensuring there is a constant source of players to represent Appleton in the future
• Maintain our 3rd XI and 4th XI to provide the pathway for young players .
“ The club will endeavour to improve facilities , mainly through members ’ efforts and where necessary provide funding through prudent financial management , organised fund-raising , developing partnerships with other bodies and seeking sponsorship and grant-aid where possible .
“ In September 2017 , we achieved reaccreditation for the next three years as an ECB Clubmark cricket club , which is the first step in the next phase of the ongoing development of Appleton Cricket Club .”
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