Palace Shield cricket clubs have begun their preparations for the 2010 season, with one club in particular keen to mark its 200th year with success on the field.
The competition gets under way on 17th April, but that hasn’t stopped club captains in Preston and surrounding areas from calling players back in to training already, ahead of another long season.
Fylde CC are amongst those already back in the indoor nets, with fitness work a priority at this stage, ahead of the club’s bicentenary season.
Captain Mike Watkinson spoke of how senior winter nets had started with a superb player turn out, with the 200th year of the club’s existence a major contributing factor.
The 23-year-old said: “We’ve had people working throughout the winter to develop structured sessions to fit every player’s needs. These include bleep test, shuttles and fielding drills as well as bowling and batting in the nets.”
And with plans to raise money for the birthday of one of the league’s oldest clubs already under way, the bicentenary week promises to be a success away from the playing field too.
He said: “The nets had been eagerly anticipated by many of the players and everybody is hoping to have an excellent season on the field, as well as off it.
“Hopefully by completing this nine week course, the club can use the structure set up through the winter and take it into the outdoor sessions and onto field on Saturday afternoons.
Overall though we’re hoping to celebrate an excellent season for our bicentenary and to make sure that members enjoy the 200th year of Fylde's existence.”
Elsewhere in the league, Vernons captain Jamie Potter spoke of how preparation in the nets had started positively and how he hoped for more of the same.
Potter, 37, said: “Our pre-season always starts with a weekend at the national sports centre at Lilleshall where we spend the weekend getting back into cricket after the long break.
“We went last week as usual and had four hours of cricket as well as a mixture of other sporting activities to help us relax. It’s a fantastic way to start the year.
The former Thornton Cleveleys all-rounder joked: “Having said that, I’m struggling to move still having started netting again this early.
“The nets have started as we mean to carry on. The drills we intend to keep putting in practice will hopefully help the club prepare for the challenges ahead.”
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