The cricket season is here again, and its time to renew your membership, or if you have let it lapse, then renew it, and come watch the Championship team again. We just hope it is as exciting as 2008 & 2009.

A great performance from our Lads many thanks, and good luck for the 2010 season, lets have some good weather, and maybe a hat-trick of wins.

There is the very fine Social Club in which you can enjoy the Licensed Bar facilities at your leisure, or attend the many functions which the Club Social section, provide for your entertainment. There are several kinds of Membership to suit your needs, please ensure you pay your subs before 31 st May 2010 and Players must pay on or before that date or they will not be eligible for selection to any team.

Although it’s been a very hard winter there has been plenty going on behind the scenes at the Club, and the players have been keeping themselves fit and well with some hard training sessions at Haslingden and Hyndburn Sports Centres under guidance of the Club Captain David Ormerod, a true leader.

Keith Hindley has stood down as the Clubs League Representative, Alick Ormerod has now taken on this task. We wish to thank Keith for his efforts he has been involved for many years well done, he has also passed on the Subscription Secretary role to Iris & Peter Barratt.

The Ladies of the club have continued to raise money with functions, bonus ball, and now the very successful supplying of drinks and food, on match days for the Huncoat Junior football teams who play on the ground Sat/ Sundays throughout the winter months, thanks to Andy Derbyshire the link man, and Marion and Jill for the endless work they do with the continual cleaning of the Kitchen and the Clubroom.

The tearoom team lead by Christine and assisted by the ladies had a fantastic year and broke all records. Many thanks for all your efforts the balance sheet would not be the same without your substantial contribution.

Nigel Stockley throughout the year he does an unbelievable job on the web site, and we cannot thank him enough, But what he needs most is help from everybody, by sending him points of interest from within the club, or any result, or performances from every team Junior and Senior, also please send him details of functions etc .

There are several projects ongoing, these include the well published Walk and Cycle Track, which is to run from Huncoat along side the Railway and our boundary and cutting across the corner of our land and then onto Highams up to Ribblesdale Ave.

The project is supported by a section of Lancashire County Council, which is known as Remade and is responsible for regeneration of derelict and wasteland.

Many trees have been removed to make way for the track, but this has also been necessary because the old concrete wall which has become unsafe and needed to be replaced, and this development has given us the chance to take this opportunity to do so.

The whole length of our boundary will now have new fencing from the Mobile Mast round to the existing fencing on Highams. The work will be going ahead throughout the season and may cause some issues, which we will address as and when they occur, please report any problem you have to a committee member.

There are issues with the Social Clubs brewery loan from Daniel Thwaites they have not been hitting the barrelage quota that was agreed in 2006, therefore we are looking at various ways to pay back this part of the loan, we have ideas on this and would ask you to support, more details in the next month or two.

We have also been approached with regards to the possible sale of our land in the Car Park area and the Tennis Courts, this is conjunction with County Council Land which lies on the left hand side of the unmade road down to our entrance gate, this is to be part of a housing development plan by the L.C.C . It is a long term plan and will not necessary going ahead at all, but this is likely to be at least three to five years before anything materialises, we will keep members informed.

The players have organised through Cricket Force a working party and are actively getting the club in good shape for the coming season, they have several jobs in hand such as the repair of the sight screen, and the wicket sheets and the painting of many areas to improve the appearance of the Club, three club members have joined the management committee to assist in the development of the club.

If you have any queries please contact the undersigned and I will try and answer your questions. Hope you all enjoy your season and we come out on top again.

Peter J. Barratt (President)

On behalf of the Management Committee