ROCKHAMPTON Cricket Club are celebrating a long-term link with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club that will give them some outstanding facilities for the future.

The two clubs have joined forces so that the Rams will be able to host Gloucestershire second team games, which will see five new wickets laid at The Boundary Field.

Gloucestershire seconds started a three-day match against the MCC Young Cricketers at Rockhampton’s ground on Tuesday this week, finishing today.

And the West of England Premier League Prem Two Glos/Wilts outfit will see a match between their a Rockhampton XI and the invitational Gloucestershire Gipsies side – akin to rugby’s Barbarians club – playing an end-of-season showpiece on Sunday.

Then, just hours after that Sunday match, the bulldozers will be at The Boundary Field to start ripping up the square before relaying it.

A five-year agreement between Gloucestershire and Rockhampton was put in place this week, and Rams chairman John Hore was delighted.

Hore said: “It’s very exciting. Our facilities will be completely upgraded.”

The chairman added: “Sunday is the end of the season at the Boundary Field and, on Monday, we have contractors coming in to put in five new wickets. It will take 18 months to two years.

“They will primarily be for Gloucestershire seconds to use but we will have full use of these wickets.

“It’s the first phase of developing the ground and it will be to GCB (Gloucestershire Cricket Board) second team standards.

“We have entered a five-year agreement with them (Gloucestershire County Cricket Club).”

Rockhampton have already enjoyed hosting Gloucestershire seconds this summer when they played Ireland.

As for the Rockhampton club itself, Hore said: “It looks as though the first team are going to finish in the middle of the top half of the table for the season. We have had a pretty good season with them."