Newton Cricket Club are celebrating after being crowned T20 champions on Sunday.
The Mount Pleasant outfit were involved in the Derbyshire and Cheshire T20 Finals Day, held at Dinting Cricket Club, and beat Whaley Bridge by two runs in the semi-final, before securing a memorable win against Woodley - leaders of division one and Bissenden Cup holders - in the final.
Victory sparked wild celebrations amongst players, coaches and supporters, who finally saw the first team win a trophy for the first time in 22 years.
Newton’s success on the pitch has been matched by developments behind the scenes.
During the club’s pre-season training program, a new, two-lane netting facility was officially opened by Jonathan Reynolds MP to the delight of players across all age groups.
The nets, which play an integral role in a player’s development, were refurbished thanks to a £20,000 grant from Suez Communities Trust.
Although the nights are drawing in and the season is nearing its end, plans are in place to keep the club thriving through the dark, winter months.
As well as creating a darts team and hosting a number of events, a new decking area will also be built to improve the club’s infrastructure.
The project will be funded through the ECB and built by young starters who are losing their way at school.
Mark Williams, club chairman, was elated with Sunday’s victory. Speaking to Reporter Sport, he said: “It’s been a long wait to win a trophy and I think the whole club is proud of what they’ve achieved.
“We had a hickup at the start of the season, but we’ve since gelled together and gone from strength-to-strength - I can’t fault any of the players.
“The netting facility has been fantastic and has resulted in major improvements across the age groups.
“The second team are top of their division and will hopefully win that in the next couple of weeks.”
“Fixtures are well attended by supporters, so we’re looking at expanding to make tables available and cater for more people.”
Commenting on his role as club chairman, Mark said: “It’s quite challenging, especially having a full-time job as well, so it can be quite demanding.
“But, we’re all volunteers and we do it because we love the club. To be honest, I don’t think we would have it any other way.”
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