Newbury Cricket Club celebrates new pavilion ahead of opening Thames Valley league game

NEWBURY Cricket Club is a good place to be at the moment.

A brand new pavilion, enough players to fill three senior teams and record numbers of juniors means that spirits are high a week before the Thames Valley League gets under way.

And first XI captain Kevin Mills said: "The pavilion has given everyone a lift, of being part a club and being proud of it.

"The pavilion is 99 per cent complete. Last year we had no pavilion and to change in the football changing rooms, but now our facilities are second to none."

Newbury attracted a host of new players over the winter, mainly due to their social media offerings.

Mills said: "People have just turned up who are new to the area and several will be pushing for a place in the first team.

"We also have some very promising juniors who will definitely be looking to play in the first team and all of our age group teams are nearly full up."

The only downside for Newbury was their desperately unlucky relegation on the final day of last season.

Although they finished seventh in Division 4, because of a league restructure it meant that two extra teams would go down from their division.

Bonus points are awarded for having an umpire; Newbury didn't have one that day and that missed point meant they went down.

Mills said: "We have an umpire this year, so we will get plenty of bonus points.

"We will be looking for promotion this season and we definitely have the side to do it."

Newbury begin their Division 5B campaign on Saturday when they travel to Sonning 2nd.