Still chance cricket could continue at Bolton CC
5:23pm Tuesday 26th February 2013 in Sport By Neil Bonnar
CRICKET could still be played at Bolton Cricket Club this season.
As reported in The Bolton News last month, the club faced having to stop playing at Green Lane after 138 years due to a problem pitch.
But action and determination from its cricket members has raised hopes that the show will go on.
They have already started work to rectify the problems, and put forward a financial plan which has been well received by the overall club secretary James Walton.
A final decision will now be taken at a committee meeting on March 13.
Bolton, who were established in 1868 and have played at Green Lane since 1875, decided they would not be able to continue to do so this season because they could not afford to pay the £8,000 they believed it would take to bring the cricket square up to scratch.
The cricket section refused to take the decision lying down and immediately looked into rectifying the problem.
They sought the advice of top cricket pitch expert Paul Tatton and have spent the past month carrying out restorative work.
They believe they can get the necessary work completed for as little as £2,000 and their efforts have left Mr Walton optimistic that cricket may still be played at one of the town’s most traditional cricket venues this season.
“The prospects at the moment are looking good,” he said.
“I would not like cricket to go, but we could not afford it. Like a lot of clubs we are struggling financially and cannot afford to do the work.
“Hopefully, we are progressing with it now. I am optimistic.”
Cricket section chairman, Mike Mangnall, who is also treasure of the overall club, says there is a great determination among the cricketing members not to see their sport disappear from the club.
“The amount of fight we have put up shows how much we want to keep cricket at the club,” he said.
“Work is continuing at pace to ensure that the wicket is in prime condition for the start of the new season.
“The initial £8,000 estimate had now come down substantially, with the cricket section paying for this work.
“Brian Medley, the club groundsman, has been working tirelessly with Paul Tatton who is a former player at Bolton Cricket Club and one of the most respected groundsmen in the North West, and he says the square will be fine.
“Until we have the committee meeting we won’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re hopeful.”
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