Installation of irrigation system

Aim

To purchase water irrigation system (storage tank, electric pump and hose pipe) to allow our groundsman to water match pitches efficiently

Our Club

Ashley Cricket Club is a vibrant and family-friendly village cricket club situated close to Altrincham in Cheshire, offering a wide range of cricket-playing opportunities to the local community, including:

• All Stars Cricket for Ages 5 to 7
• Dynamos Cricket for Ages 7 to 11
• Junior League Cricket for Boys and Girls Ages 8 to 17
• Adult League and Friendly Cricket for Ages 13-65

We are very hopeful that after an off-season with no cricket practice we can get the go ahead to launch in April, ahead of a full season of matches, training and socialising. It will be terrific to see everyone back at the club enjoying our facilities.

1st XI League & Cup Winners 2019

2020 season

The COVID-19 shortened cricket season of 2020 was more successful and enjoyable than looked possible at the end of March/early April.  We are proud to have offered so much cricket and training to so many players, from junior players new to cricket and playing Under 9s softball pairs cricket through to youth players participating in, and winning, senior league competitions and on to wily veteran players who managed to play lots of mid-week friendlies locally.

Our 2nd XI won their league in the last game of the season, a tense, one wicket win in a low scoring thriller against our local rivals Timperley. Our Under 15 girls took part in the national ECB knockout and after two convincing wins were well beaten by a Leyland team containing several Lancashire age group players. The 1st XI finished mid table after the league and cup double of 2019, highlights include a whirlwind innings of 82 off only 25 balls by Abdul Wahab, including 12 6s, and he was dropped first ball, at long off. Our Academy side, usually made up of 7 or 8 young players and 3 or 4 old "uns" performed so well and introduced many new players, including 2 girls. Finally, we re-instated our second Sunday side playing local friendly games and in 2021 this side will re-join the league structure

For the 2021 season we will run 5 weekend league teams, a mid-week Over 40s team and 9 junior sides, including 2 girls teams

Our first Past Players Day went ahead in 2019 and we hope to repeat this event late in the summer 2021

Our Appeal

Financially, the year was pretty brutal, low receipts from subscription income; no Sportsman's Dinner, very little Sponsorship income, and vastly reduced bar takings. However we are certain that the ground and our facilities will be in demand once we can train and play. We will need to prepare plenty of match wickets, training pitches and keep our artificial nets maintained.

You might think a sports club based in the North West of England, near to Manchester, would not struggle for rain water to help prepare our pitches, but when the sun shines and we go without meaningful rainfall for a few weeks it is very difficult to safely prepare all the grass pitches we need  

We are therefore launching an Appeal to our members, parents, ex members, friends and contacts to purchase a water storage tank, an electric pump and a hose pipe to allow our groundsman to water pitches quickly. Currently, due to low water pressure, it can take two hours to water one match pitch. A new irrigation system would allow a pitch to be watered in ten to fifteen minutes, leaving the groundsman time to work on the rest of the ground

Our initial target is £5,000, if we are lucky enough to exceed the total of £5,000 any extra funds will be invested into the ground and our facilities to ensure everyone can fully benefit from our great sporting facility

How will we invest in our club

As a financially secure club we will be able to continue to develop our cricket offering to the community. This will include;

• The provision of coaches to supplement our own volunteers and to ensure we can offer everyone regardless of ability the chance to play
• Update the viewing areas around the ground
• Improved playing facilities e.g. new boundary rope, seating, updated changing rooms

Coaching methods are much improved in recent years!

Thank you

Please pass on the details of our project to anyone you think would like to help, we will use Gift Aid where possible to boost donations.

 We look forward to welcoming you all to Ashley CC this summer

This project successfully funded on 1st May 2021