The other side of cricket...

Last night I wrote about Derbyshire County Cricket Club's committee and their new recruit in Kevin Dean. They all have their responsibilities - much like the club I play for.

I was skipper for nine seasons, before work commitments meant my organising a team, speaking to the opposition and ensuring someone was preparing a wicket became a little too hectic, on top of running this blog and being a dutiful husband and father. Something had to give and nine years seemed like a long enough time. The fact that no one before or since managed more than two summers probably tells its own story, but it is now quite nice to play when I'm able (which should be more often this summer) and turn up with everyone else, rather than an hour in advance.

Then came last night's phone call. Our old pavilion had effectively died last season, despite many close seasons of remedial work. We had replaced all the four sides of what was an upmarket, three-roomed portacabin, acquired from the old Glasgow Garden Festival over 25 summers ago. The roof had been done several times, but eventually local joiners told us that the floor and joists were rotten, as was one of the walls. Things didn't look good. Added to that, the drains we had put in years ago are now seriously compacted and we haven't the money to replace them - £50K was the quote we got, as well as a year without use. The water table at the ground is high, with the River Forth not too far away and we lost a lot of cricket over the last two summers with water simply having nowhere to go. Even sunny days after a couple of wet ones were of little use and prospects were not overly rosy.

Then came the break we hoped for. A successful grant application gave us money for new nets, while one of the committee members got wind of a potential building we could acquire. This turned out to be a disassembled beauty, bought for a local tourist spot but hardly used. Two large changing rooms, a substantial dining room and a roomy porch for viewing purposes, all for a sum we could afford. We also had the money to enable a local turf company to work on vertical drainage this Spring, hopefully enough to get us out there more often this summer.

Last night's call confirmed we had been granted planning permission and so, next month (or when the weather allows it before April) we have to erect it. With a couple of joiners and an electrician on the committee we have a head start and with willing DIY enthusisasts to pitch in we should get it done over a couple of long hours weekends - at least that's the plan. The roof might need a little more work than the old one to build properly, but with a little luck with weather we should greet season 2012 with great optimism. A full fixture list from April to September  - Wednesdays and Sundays with some Saturdays in between - and around 25-30 playing members, with an age range of 10 to 67. Considering our incredibly supportive landlord gives us the ground for a peppercorn £1 a year lease, we have plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

We may well lose more than we win, but winning is not so important these days. More so is getting out on the ground, enjoying a competitive game in the company of friends and enjoying the spectacular views across to Stirling Castle, so impressive that a national newspaper declared it one of the best three places in Scotland to watch or play the game. On a summer's evening, unless the farmer's tractor is busying away in a neighbouring field, or a blackbird is singing away in one of the trees, there's no other sound. We are three fields back from the road and there is no noise from passing traffic. Only laughter, the sound of bat on ball and noises of encouragement - plenty of encouragement.

The standard is variable as in all clubs. Some have played a good standard over the years, north or south of the border and can still be relied on to score runs and take wickets. Others just enjoy the craic and greet every run in their tally like the winning stroke of a T20 semi-final. At the end of the day, we're all mates and we win and lose together.

It is, in short, an idyllic way to spend a summer evening. It adds to my enjoyment of the greatest game in the world and I hope to keep playing for as long as I can. With an occasional guest star (the picture shows me with an honorary club member, Scotland international slow left arm spinner Glenn Rogers before an evening fixture a couple of summers back) we pick a team for the opposition and always have fun.

Who could ask for more?

(More on Derbyshire tomorrow)