7:20am Tuesday 30th June 2009
By Graham Hardcastle
WESTHOUGHTON Cricket Club could stage county championship matches in two years’ time.
Lancashire are considering playing one or more matches at the Bolton League club’s impressive new ground while Old Trafford is undergoing renovation.
The Red Rose club are in negotiations with Westhoughton who are moving from the Tyldesleys to a new facility between The Hoskers and Cappadocia Way, and hope to be playing league cricket there by the end of this summer.
Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes and cricket director Mike Watkinson, who was born in Westhoughton, visited the new £2million ground last week.
And they are even keen to use the new facility as a base for Lancashire’s second team, with some matches being played there as early as next summer.
“The facilities we have are going to be the best in Lancashire and beyond. We have already heard that from them,” said Martin Hodgkiss, the project coordinator.
“The relocation was never intended to host Lancashire matches, it was for the players and supporters of Westhoughton Cricket Club. But to host Lancashire would be good for us, the league and the town.”
The redevelopment of Old Trafford, with the aim of regaining an Ashes Test match in 2013, is currently ongoing.
There are plans to turn the square around at the end of next season, which means the majority, if not all, of Lancashire’s Championship games will be played on out-grounds.
Lancashire’s second home is unofficially Liverpool, while they also used Blackpool up until this season. Southport and Lytham have been used in the past.
Cumbes said: “It is early days, but I was very impressed with the set-up. It is an interesting option. It has a very big square, and a lovely pavilion.
“We are interested in taking it to the next stage, and will sit down with them to see what we can sort out. It is in the heart of the county, and would be able to accommodate the capacity we need for Championship matches.”
Westhoughton’s new ground is expected to have capacity for 5,000 spectators and has room for 20 wickets on the square.
Hodgkiss and Westhoughton’s vice chairman Gary Dixon, who have now had two meetings with Red Rose club’s chiefs, know there is a long way to go before they can start preparing for the visit of Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood.
The pavilion, which will also hold functions and weddings, will be finished by the end of the month, but the playing area will not be ready for cricket until September.
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