THE official opening of the new cricket pavilion at Malvern Ramblers Cricket Club's Regency Road headquarters takes place next Friday (July 28) at 6pm.

The ceremony will be performed by Lord MacLaurin the Chairman of the England & Wales Cricket Board, who accepted the invitation from Club president, Mr George Chesterton.

The new pavilion six years ago was just a pipe dream with a lot of 'maybes and what ifs'. But that dream turned into reality when at the last AGM the members voted by an overwhelming majority to go ahead with what was probably the biggest decision in the club's short history.

With thanks to Malvern Hills Council Grant and loans by generous members, what stands at the top end of the ground is now a magnificent building with two changing rooms each fitted with its own showers and toilet, a separate umpires changing room with shower, a large kitchen to make any tea lady envious, large bar and a much larger lounge than before with indoor toilets for gentlemen, ladies and the disabled.

The two sets of large double doors open out onto a veranda and a small gradient bank on to what is already one of the best playing surfaces in the county, surely it is now up among the best in the area.

The first sod was taken in January and work on the building began in earnest by Wells Joinery. Thanks must go to Brian Handy and his band of four men from the company who worked tirelessly to get the building in to a habitable position after only four months.

May the club take this opportunity to thank all the men (too many to mention but you know who you are) who turned a cold slab of concrete into the magnificent building we have now, and hope you can make it to the opening night.

The club are also indebted to the few club members who volunteered their services throughout the building process to finish off the interior Ray Evans, Clive Cullen, Dave Hinton, Keith Baker, Ian Walwyn and the majority of the Ladies Committee.

The club must also thank the companies that have agreed to sponsor this season. Our main sponsors (in alphabetical order) who have helped either financially or have given materials to finish the building:-

Automated Packaging Systems (Malvern), Crusader Sport & Leisure (Worcester), Dixons paint (malvern), Francis Carpets & Furniture (Malvern), Gibb Civil Structural & Environment Consultants (Oldbury, West Midlands), Infosigns (Malvern), Malvern Electrical Wholesale (Malvern), John Rudge (Malvern) and Quintech Compute Systems (Malvern).

Our match sponsors (who have made financial donations to help):- Andrews Hair Salon (Malvern), The Bakery Inn (Malvern), Nibbly Bits Catering (Worcester), Fruits of the Earth (malvern), 3 of a Kind (malvern), MRCC Ladies Committee for donating tea money (too many to mention).

The club also thanks Greenacre Turf of Broadheath, who has given the turf to finish off the periphery of the building at a very reasonable rate.

The club is always on the look out for new players so just come on down to Regency Road.