THE picturesque ground of Oakley Cricket Club was a hive of activity last Saturday, as over 100 volunteers descended on the ground as part of the ECB NatWest CricketForce weekend.

Villagers, cricket members and several employees from the local NatWest branches, the ECB and the Hants Cricket Board took part in numerous jobs around the ground in preparation for the new season, despite the damp weather.

Oakley was picked as one of three to be a ECB showcase club out of over 2,000 clubs and as part of this event England paceman, Jake Ball, was the guest of honour on the day.

Chairman of Oakley, Bob Lethaby said: “It is great to see so many people at the club and I am really grateful to them for coming down. We have been working hard to get existing and new members to buy into the ethos of the club, which means volunteering for groundwork and other duties rather than just turning up on a Saturday and playing."

The club is still looking for new members of any ability for their adults and in particular colts teams. Outdoor training for the adult teams starts on Wednesday April 11 at the ground and colts training for players aged eight to 15 begins on Monday April 9.