The covers are off as clubs feel the Force

Cricket clubs across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been sprucing up their grounds ahead of the new season.

Old Hill, Cannock, Himley, Springhill and Codsall were just a few of the clubs hard at work over the past weekend, in line with NatWest's Cricket Force initiative.

With the help of volunteers from the bank, members of the various clubs spent hours of their spare time painting fences, scrubbing sight screens and erecting boundary fencing.

Those from Old Hill Cricket Club, based in Cradley Heath, touched up the entrance gates, decorated the changing rooms and outside benches, and improved the pitch.

Volunteers at Springhill Cricket Club spent their weekend constructing new training nets for the forthcoming season, as well as working on the patio of the new pavilion, which cost an approximate total of £180,000.

Codsall CC received £300 of funding from the English Cricket Board, via the Jewson Privilege Scheme, which went towards purchasing tools and equipment to create an outdoor compound where equipment can now be kept.

The club was also recently awarded a grant by Midcounties Co-operative to buy new mobile nets, and it is hoped the improvements made to the ground will ensure there is secure space for them.

The aim of the Cricket Force scheme is to bring clubs and their communities closer, and Vicky Green, Codsall CC chair, said: "Cricket force is a great weekend that brings all the club together.

"We dig and build, clean and scrub. It's a real team effort and we had a lots of fun.

"Even young children got involved doing up notice boards and clearing out the changing rooms.

"We are so grateful to all our volunteers and the support of the ECB, NatWest, Staffordshire Cricket Board, Jewson's Builders Merchants and Midcounties Cooperative who helped us make a massive difference to the ground and its facilities.

"It's hard going finding money to support community groups like ours, so we are very lucky that large organisations like these are giving back to the little guys."