On the weekend of April the 9^th cricket clubs all around the country will be donning overalls, grabbing paintbrushes, gardening tools and rubber gloves for the biggest club renovation drive in World Sport!

This fantastic initiative is a new slant on the traditional preseason tidy up and NatWest Cricket Force is now in it’s 8^thyear. In 2010 1,642 cricket clubs took part producing an estimated 85,000 volunteers helping throughout the weekend. This year Southgate Cricket Club have signed up and all members are requested to come along and pitch in to get the club and ground looking as it should in time for the start of the season

At the recommendation of the newly reformed Ground’s Committee we will be joined by our fellow member clubs but it is really important that we as Southgate Cricket Club set the example and get involved in large numbers.

A quick look at http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/natwest-cricketforcewill give you a great ight into the achievements of clubs all around the county who’ve jumped on the cricket force bandwagon. Not only have we already received our free T-shirts we also qualify for discounts on a range of useful items from bath tiles to tractors.

The guys who took part in last seasons tidy up will no doubt remember fondly the rippling torso of Matt Creese brandishing the electric hedge trimmer or Sage standing in a skip resplendent in his bomber jacket and this year’s event will be a an important start to our summer.

I will be recruiting hard so expect a phone call or an email and there will be much more information in the March newsletter. A number of England Players typically pitch in at grounds around the country so who knows who might turn up armed with a paintbrush or a broom!

We’re delighted to announce that a Women’s One Day International will also be played at Southgate on July the 5th. The match between India and New Zealand is part of a quadrangular series also including hosts England and Australia who will be playing at Lord’s on the same day. I certainly know where I’d prefer to be playing and it’s fantastic for the profile of the club to have a match such as this on the ground.

Middlesex County Cricket Club return to Southgate on Sunday July the 10^th with a mouth watering Friends Provident T20 clash against Somerset.

The Panthers who famously won the T20 Cup in 2008 will be up against a powerful Somerset Sabres line up who ended up runners up in all 3 domestic competitions in 2010.

With Captain Marcus Trescothick and Craig Kieswetter opening up for the visitors there may well be some fireworks, not to mention West Indian Kieron Pollard hit the roof of then MCC pavilion at Lord’s in the corresponding fixture last season.

It’s a real honour to host Middlesex again and they can expect good local support with excellent numbers expected for this Sunday afternoon event. If you fancy a quick peak at last seasons fixture click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GyVhRAqHHE

For more information on tickets please visit
http://www.middlesexccc.com/content_default.asp?ContentID=19

The full subscription for 2011 is now £80 (up just £10). The reduced subscription is now £50 (again up by £10, and only available to full-time students and the long-term unemployed). Colts subscription is now £60, again up by £10.

Please pay promptly as this is an expensive time of the year for the club and finances remain challenging. To help with this please join the 200 Club at the same time. This is a £12 raffle ticket paid to Ricky or directly as above. 50% is paid back in prizes, with four winners a year of £150.