RAMSBOTTOM Cricket Club are in the 'hands of the gods' as they pray for a spell of drier weather to asses the damage caused to the pitch at Acre Bottom.

The Boxing Day floods left the ground under water and the clean-up operation has since been hampered by snow and freezing temperatures.

While the outfield is now on the road to recovery, officials are still unsure on the condition of the square, with the Lancashire League season less than three months away.

"We've cleared up about three quarters of the pitch, but we couldn't do anything last weekend because the snow came," said committee member John Fox.

"The big thing now is we're praying for some dry weather so we can see how the square recovers.

"We had to take an awful lot of mud off the square, the floods came diagonally across the square, so mud was dragged right across it.

"We've had a few people down to look at it but we need to keep our fingers crossed and see how it develops over the next month or so and hope it's not lost any firmness.

"We only relaid the square around 18 months ago. It was just about bedding in. The big worry is we have to do something with it."

The costs are already mounting for the 171-year-old club, who have been unable to get flood insurance because of the ground's proximity to the River Irwell.

Machinery worth around £5,000 needs replacing, while the flood water tore up the astroturf nets at the ground.

"It's one of those jobs. Every time we look at it it seems to get bigger," said Fox.

"We're hopeful, there's a lot of optimism but we have to be realistic at the same time. There's an awful lot more to do.

"We've been quoted between £25,000 and £40,000 for the back nets to be sorted out, but we're now having to look at dealing with the Environment Agency, because we can't let this happen again, we've got to get some kind of flood protection.

"We're getting quotes on that for some kind of retaining wall which will stop any further flooding. But we've been told that can take between six to 12 months to get the permission."

While the floods were most unwelcome, they have rallied the community around both the cricket and football clubs.

Players and staff from Lancashire Cricket Club spent a day at Acre Bottom helping out, while artists who have performed at the Ramsbottom Festival, held at the cricket club every year, have donated to the fundraising events.

"It's brought the club together and a lot of people in the town who've not been to the club before have become involved," said Fox.

"A lot of people know the ground because of the social side and the Rammy music festival.

"The support we've had has been fantastic. It's been amazing.

"The amount of work that's been done so far is a miracle.

"The nets and the square are the big unknown. We've got a lot of people praying for good weather and doing reverse rain dances.

"We're in the hands of the gods but hopefully they're smiling on us in the next few months."