A VILLAGE cricket club with the distinction of being the highest cricket club in southern England has launched a push to build a new pavilion and attract new players of all ages.

Belstone Cricket Club is on a roll after winning its league – Division 1 of the Sunday North Devon League – last summer and now wants to build a pavilion fit for the next generation of players.

Showers and kitchen facilities in the pavilion will also keep its current members happy as well as visiting clubs.

So far, members of the small dedicated committee of volunteers have raised £40,000 – and will be looking for grant funding to make the £200,000 project a reality. Their project has the support of Central Devon MP Mel Stride and has already secured planning permission.

The village club has a thriving youth section, having seen 200 youngsters turn up for its England Cricket Board (ECB) Allstars and Dynamos programmes over the past two seasons.

These sessions are run on Friday nights in May and June, introducing five year olds and eight to 11-year-olds to the game respectively, with a Colts programme also being set up to bring 11-year-olds into the game.

Richard Drake, who runs the youth section, said: ‘My aim is to get some publicity going with the kids and encourage more people to come along and help build the club up. There’s a real buzz up here on a Friday night.’

As well as the youth sessions on Friday nights, they are playing in a friendly league on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays in the North Devon League. ‘We are one of the most southerly clubs in that league,’ said team captain Matt Dennis.

He said things had come together for the team last summer, when they found themselves presented with the trophy for Division 1 of the Sunday North Devon League.

The season saw player Ryan Dennis reach his century in the Sunday North Devon League game against Westleigh; he went on to make 199, the second highest individual score of any Belstone batsman since the club restarted in its current incarnation in 1993.

As president Peter Hammond explained, the current ground, with its views over the tors on Dartmoor, was purchased with much fundraising along with generous donations from the community. At this time, the current pavilion was erected.

The restarting of cricket at that time followed a much earlier history of cricket in the village stretching back to the First World War. Games were previously played on a farmer’s field next door to the current ground.Richard explained that updated facilities were urgently needed, as there were no showers, and the current club room was not big enough to fit in a full complement of two 11-strong teams.

‘We enjoy our weekends, we look forward to the summer because of cricket and a pint down the pub afterwards. We go down to the Taw River Inn normally at Sticklepath. It is a whole family thing, I bring my son up and my daughter and they love it. You have a few hours when you are not batting when you can catch up with your mates. It is not rushed. It is more social than anything.’

Club member Matt Dennis said the club was for everyone. ‘It covers quite an age and ability range. You don’t all have to be superstars to play cricket, you don’t all have to be in your teenage years. A group of people of any age and abilities can come and enjoy the sport together. It is great to be outside in the summer to be honest, to make the most of the summer.’

He said what they needed was to get more people involved, in everything to do with the club. ‘There are just a few people who do the day to day running of the club at the moment, so it would be great if we could focus on building up that commitment.’

Peter’s involvement with the club stretches back to before they had their own ground, back in 1993. Like the other members of the committee, he does not begrudge any of the effort he puts into the club.‘If you enjoy it, you put the effort in because you love it, it is as simple as that,’ he said.

To find out more and support the club, go to the Belstone Cricket Club Facebook page. You can also email Richard Drake on [email protected]