Howzat for a great team effort!

A MASSIVE clean-up of Stratford-upon-Avon Cricket Club’s ground at Swan’s Nest Lane following recent flooding was carried out on Sunday.

Thirty-one volunteer helpers — including Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s former captain, Jim Troughton — turned out to gather up the detritus caused by the heavy rains at both Swan’s Nest Lane and Alscot Park, home of The Bards’ cricket team.

The work was done under the aegis of the NatWest CricketForce, a national initiative to bring clubs and their local communities closer together and ensure that cricket grounds are ready for the new season.

Stratford Cricket Club chairman Steve Cootes told the Herald: “It was a very successful event. We completely filled an extended-sized skip with all kinds of detritus, some of it brought in by the floods we had four weeks ago.”

Three current members of the staff of Warwickshire County Cricket Club — including Mr Troughton, who is now the club’s fielding coach — came along to help.

Mr Troughton is the son of actor David Troughton and his wife, Ali, who is the president of Stratford Cricket Club.

Mr Cootes said: “We were pleased with the weather and we achieved a lot. You wouldn’t believe the ground was totally immersed in water four weeks ago!”