PENARTH Cricket Club has launched a fundraising effort to improve its coaching facilites and to cover the cost of maintaining it ground after Vale of Glamorgan withdrew support.

The club has launched a crowdfund campaign, with two main aims.

Launching its appeal the club says: "We are a big club that has grown significantly in recent years. We boast the UK's largest All Stars & Dynamos section (where you get started as a kid in cricket), our junior age group teams have burgeoned, we have a women's softball team and growing number of girls' teams as well as five saturday teams, a sunday friendly XI and mid-week cricket games.

"Our small two2 bay nets are struggling in terms of quality and capacicty to cope so we need to build a four-bay net practice area at a cost of around £90,000.

"In addition we will soon be having to pay for the maintenance of our two squares and outfields.

"Vale of Glamorgan Council is no longer supporting this transition with equipment like a roller, mower etc so we need to purchase a heavy roller, square mower and scarifier. Cost circa £25,000."

Chair Mark Frost said: "We want to appeal to anyone with a link (emotional, historic, or otherwise) with Penarth Cricket Club to consider making a donation to support the great work that goes on all summer (and a lot of winter as well)."

The crowdfunder can be found here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/5f4236d75a46acfe4900472e6090201a