A VILLAGE cricket club has confirmed its return to Saturday senior competition after more than a decade away.

Whittington Cricket Club, in Whittington, will be making a welcome return after their application to join the Shropshire County Cricket League was accepted at its AGM.

This will mark 11 years since the club last competed in the competition after the team folded at the end of the 2014 season, ending 156 years of competitive cricket in the village.

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The sport has recently been revived, however, following substantial investment in the ground’s facilities by the ECB and Cricket Shropshire in creating the Shropshire Women & Girls Hub.

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Since then, county age group squads have played matches there as well as being a training facility utilising the facilities.

The club already has a successful women’s team in operation and has played host to a number of county festivals and finals days over the past three years.

“This is very much a natural progression for the club, building on the success of the women and girls game, which the Witches ladies team and the already existing midweek Wizards side, which gained promotion last season,” said Dan Conde, cricket section chairman.

“We’ve always been more than aware that a ground with such great facilities needed the return of senior cricket at some point and we now feel we’re ready to take the plunge.

“This is especially true after watching over 500 runs being scored in a match three times last season, when both Ellesmere and Chirk played their league games here.

“The square was always one of the best in the league but this is a testament to all the hard work that’s gone into restoring it back to, and beyond, its best.”

Further work will be completed in time for 2025, with continued structural work such as new perimeter fencing being erected around the ground and changing room refurbishments in the extensive pavilion.

He added: “It’s an exciting time to be involved with the club, which is being borne out by the standard of players showing an interest in coming to play here.

“We’ve also been investing heavily in the youth system since cricket returned to the club in 2022, which has already seen some young players progressing to the county pathway, with the intention of ensuring the club's long-term sustainability.

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“Although we’ve been placed in Division 7 for next season we, like every other club in the SCCL, have ambitions to move up the leagues and regain the club's previous position at the top end of the divisions.

“There’s a long way to go but anything is possible.”

Anybody wanting to get involved with the club can contact Dan at enquiries@whittingtoncricketandbowlingclub.co.uk