VOLUNTEERS have been working to remove a ‘lake’ at Darwen Cricket Club ahead of next season in a new league.

Outfield drainage at the Birch Hall Ground has been an issue for several years due to a 14ft drop from the top of the pitch which has caused water to gather.

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The heavy rain of recent months has seen several of The Towers’ home games called off and with the team moving into the Lancashire League next season from the Northern League, the committee felt it was time to get facilities ‘spot on’.

A group of volunteers have been helping to install new drains which will stop water from gathering at the bottom of the pitch and in turn will help it to recover after heavy rainfall.

Secretary Colin Charnock said that it has been a great way for the community to bond as well as help the club.

He said: “Drainage at the Birch Hall Ground has been a problem for many years, especially recently where we seem to have had excessive rain.

“There is a significant drop from the top of the pitch to the bottom which means that water gathers quite easily and with heavy rollers going on the pitch quite a lot I think the drainage has been damaged over the years.

“It can be like a lake at the bottom sometimes.

“With moving into the Lancashire League we felt it was time to get things spot on and make sure we don’t embarrass ourselves, we want to have good facilities for home games.

“It’s been great that volunteers have got themselves involved and its certainly helped us with the cost of it.

“We do like the committee and the community to bond and this is a superb way of doing that.”

The club has spent more than £1,000 on redoing the drains and it is hoped the work will be finished by next weekend.

Another project being worked on by the club is the refurbishment of the pavilion, where girls changing rooms are being installed for the first time. The complete makeover of the pavilion is set to be finished by the end of March ready for the new season which will begin in April.