Renfrew Cricket Club asks supporters to stump up for replacement roller

Kevin Craigensin Cricket

Renfrew Cricket Club is urging people to stump up cash for a new roller to keep its pitch in tip-top shape.

Paul Goodman, groundsman at Renfrew Cricket Club, with the old roller that has finally run out of steam

Members need to raise £8,800 to pay for a new Poweroll Club machine, with more than £4,000 coined in so far.

Now they are hoping more people will pitch in to help by making a donation through a GoFundMe page.

Sai Majeed, the club's press officer, told The Gazette: "The roller we had lasted for about 25 years but it finally gave up on us.

"Our groundsman Paul Goodman, who is also a volunteer and has been at the club for 40 years, would fix it and maintain it but it finally came to a point where it gave up."

"The area which the batter and bowler are involved in has to be maintained, so the roller would be used three or four times in a week, for 40 minutes at a time."

The club has been in existence for well over a century, having been founded in 1904, and takes part in various competitions organised by the Western District Cricket Union at junior and senior levels.

Members have been using a heavy hand-roller manually since their old machine broke down but they say it is not fit for purpose.

Scores of young players from the local area would be among those to benefit from the new roller.

The club prides itself on introducing cricket to generations of youngsters through its dedicated team of coaches, who visit primary and secondary schools in Renfrew to encourage them to give it a bash.

Sai said there is growing interest in cricket amongst young people, with new ways of playing the sport helping to capture their imagination.

He added: "Youth is massive for us. We have an all-stars programme, which starts from five to eight-year-olds.

"We were supposed to start a new one called Dynamos, which is for up to age 10, and also have different age group sides up to under-15s."

We are also involved in schools in Renfrew, where we have curriculum and after-school programmes, and we have been doing this for the last 20 years. That is where the life-blood of the club is."


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