Warwickshire stars attend pavilion opening

WARWICKSHIRE first-team coach Jim Troughton and skipper Ian Bell were the special guests as Great Alne celebrated the opening of their new pavilion on Sunday.

More than 250 visitors were present as former England star Bell spent 40 minutes in the nets against the young and not-so-young Great Alne bowlers, while Troughton made a speech ahead of the official opening.

“It’s been a privilege to visit Great Alne Cricket Club and open its new pavilion,” said Troughton.

“It’s the result of a huge amount of hard work from the club members to generate the required funding.

“The club has a great set-up and can thrive with these new facilities, whilst continuing to develop its junior programme with the help of the Warwickshire Cricket Board.

“We’re keen to show as much support as possible for our local clubs and to see the recreational game thriving.”

There is still a considerable amount of internal work to complete and anyone wishing to support the club further should e-mail greatalnecc@yahoo.co.uk