AFTER last year’s season was truncated following the cancellation of league cricket in the face of the pandemic, Andover Cricket Club side is looking forward to getting back into competitive league action once again.

The first XI open their 2021 league campaign with a local derby against Sparsholt on May 1, and the club’s second and third teams have their first league matches the following weekend.

Alongside the three Saturday teams competing in the Southern and Hampshire Cricket Leagues, the club continues to run a Sunday and a mid-week evening side.

As well as adult cricket, the club also operates a highly successful junior section providing cricket for children from the local community, running weekly coaching sessions and matches for children in specific age-groups up to the age of 15. Andover Cricket Club will this summer run All Stars and Dynamos cricket sessions, programmes created by the England and Wales Cricket Board for children up to the age of 11.

All Stars Cricket is designed to introduce children aged five to eight to the sport with a programme of fun, activity and skills development and Dynamos Cricket is the next step for those graduating from All Stars and the ideal introduction for all eight to 11 year-olds new to the sport.

Andover Cricket Club

Andover Cricket Club

Ground improvements

During the winter the Club Committee has taken steps to make improvements to their London Road Sports Ground.

With a new electronic scoreboard commemorating the life of club president and first XI scorer for 40 years, Lesley Morgan, the town’s cricket ground continues to be the envy of many in the county.

The scoreboard was funded by donations from members and friends of the club with local accountants, Hysons, who matched the funding raised.

The club say the new scoreboard is a "long-lasting and fitting tribute" to Lesley who "dedicated her life to the club".

Alongside the new scoreboard, the ageing pavilion has had new windows fitted and has been painted by members who volunteered to give up their time to give it a new lease of life.

Additionally, new netting has been sourced for club practice facilities, investment has been made in ground maintenance with new equipment and there are plans to develop an outdoor socialising area.

More recently, a new bowling machine has been donated by Hysons which will help players hone their skills in first rate practice facilities.

The culmination of this hard work and investment in the ground has resulted in the Hampshire Country Cricket Club booking Andover’s London Road ground for fixtures for their youth development sides throughout the summer.

The Committee is always ready to welcome new players and volunteers. Specifically, with several teams playing weekly during the season, the club is on the lookout for new umpires and scorers, for whom full training can be organised.

Anyone interested in playing for, or supporting the club, can contact andovercc@mail.com.

Visitors and supporters are also welcome from May 17, assuming progression of the Government Roadmap out of lockdown is confirmed) to watch cricket at the London Road Sports Ground.

Entry is free and matches start (weather permitting) at 12:30pm every Saturday until September.