FINAL preparations are being made for the start of the cricket season in the Warrington area this Saturday (April 17) but one local village team will be missing.
Stretton will not be playing in the UKFast Cheshire League at its ground at Pewterspear.
The club did not take part in the truncated competition run by the league during the Covid pandemic last season.
They had hoped to return this year but have been unable to reach agreement with the ground’s owners.
A spokesman for the league said: “It is disappointing that a ground will be standing idle – we had hoped that perhaps Appleton, who already have three grounds but have four teams, might have been able to make use of it. But nothing has come of it.
“We hope that all our other clubs will be back at full strength, but there is always the possibility that some players might decide not to carry on.”
At the top of the Warrington cricket tree, Grappenhall and Warrington both start their programmes on Saturday in the RSK Cheshire County League , first division.
Grappenhall, keen to win promotion back to the ECB Premier division from which they were relegated in 2019, will travel to Marple for their first match. Warrington will travel to Congleton.
First home game at Broad Lane will be Grappenhall 2nd v Ashton on Mersey while at Warrington’s Walton Lea ground the first game will be the 2nd XI v Upton.
In the UKFast Cheshire League , Appleton will travel to Heaton Mersey and Lymm Oughtrington Park will host Winnington Park in the second division.
Lymm Oughtrington Park are away at Oakmere while Appleton 2nd will entertain Cholmondeley
Glazebury will travel to Bowdon Vale in division four while Glazebury 2nd are due to host Upton at Hurst Lane.
If anyone can throw any light on the disappearance of Stretton Cricket Club please email [email protected]
