THE absence of former England skipper Mike Gatting didn’t dampen the spirits of volunteers who pulled on their gloves and mucked into scores of DIY jobs at Winterbourne Cricket Club.
Gatting was hoping to be part of the club’s refurbishment activities for ECB’s NatWest CricketForce weekend but rushed to Essex to see his critically-ill mother, who had suffered a heart attack.
The absence didn’t deter the 70 helpers that completed 42 tasks around the ground and pavilion.
Winterbourne chairman Jamie Harvey says he was delighted with how Saturday panned out.
“We could never have achieved so much in just one day without the fantastic support we have received from the ECB, Wiltshire Cricket and all their sponsors and partners,” he said.
“Our thoughts are with Mike and his family, but despite him not being able to come for totally understandable reasons, over £10,000 worth of work has been done at minimal cost to the club.”
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