ROCKHAMPTON Cricket Club completed another stage of its ongoing programme of investment in its facilities with the official opening of its new £30,000 practice nets on last Friday.

The nets were funded by club fundraising events and a grant from South Gloucestershire Council.

The opening event was graced by three Gloucestershire County cricket legends; Andy Brassington, Andy Stovold and Phil Bainbridge.

Phil Bainbridge, who made a handful of appearances for Rockhampton himself after retiring from the professional game, had the honour of bowling the first ball in the new net to Rockhampton’s first team vice-captain, Will Cartlidge.

The facility was then opened up to members of Rockhampton’s youth section to practice in.

Club chairman John Hore looked on approvingly. He said: “These youngsters are the future of cricket not just in our club, but in all cricket clubs. If we want them to stick with the game, to enjoy it and to improve at it, then they need to have the best level of facilities and coaching that we can give them. As a club we are committed to raising the level of cricket we play and provide for the community.

"Supported by an army of volunteers on whom this club like all other clubs depends, these new nets are part of a larger project to upgrade our whole ground and coaching systems for the future.”

Last year, with the help of a loan from the ECB, Rockhampton purchased a strip of land adjacent to its ground. It is on this additional land that the new nets have been built.

The club have plans to increase the present boundary size and to move and relay their pitch square to create what will be one of the most attractive and impressive grounds in the area.

They even have room for other sporting facilities in the future which could benefit other groups in the local community.

For such a small, and to some obscure, village the success of Rockhampton cricket club has been remarkable.

Their first team play in the West of England Premier Division Two and they have another three senior teams competing in lower leagues. Allied to their friendly and inclusive attitude, the foundation of their growth and success has without doubt been their youth section.

The vast majority of their senior teams are made up of players who have passed through or are still playing in their youth teams and many of the volunteers who run the club are parents of those past and present youth players.

The club runs junior teams from under-nines to under-nineteen, but is happy to see children from the age of six or seven at its Friday night practices. It is committed to providing an enjoyable and instructive introduction and progression in the game.

Throughout the winter, the club has been running indoor coaching courses for its juniors with the help of two ex-county players who are professional coaches. As a result, the club is now increasing the number of its young cricketers in the county and district age-group squads.

With its continued investment in quality facilities and coaching, the future looks bright for Rockhampton Cricket Club.