A TRIO of local clubs are expecting county assistance this weekend the CricketForce 2006 takes place.

Evesham, Pershore and Ashton have all requested the visit of a member of the playing staff at Worcestershire to help with ground work required ahead of the new season.

Project leaders and helpers at The Bottoms are asked to assemble at 10.30am, members at Ashton will be meeting up from 1pm where Daryl Mitchell is heading for after a brief appearance at Evesham from 12 noon.

Pershore players face the first competitive action seven days later when they visit Colwall in preparation for the opening Worcestershire County League match at home to Old Elizabethans on Saturday, April 22.

Ashton, meanwhile, start their Cotswold Hills League campaign on Saturday, May 6.

The same afternoon, Evesham start their Birmingham and District Premier League Division Two season when playing host to Bridgnorth.

However, competitive action for the Avon Street side starts on Saturday, April 22 with a visit to Premier outfit Wellington in the Graham Williamson Trophy.

The winners will be in action seven days later in either the Trophy or Plate competitions with WBA Dartmouth and Knowle and Dorridge the visitors.

The club is being sponsored again this year by Rilys, the Contemporary Balti Restaurant on Waterside.

The sponsorship deal will be launched at a Curry and Quiz evening in the Clubhouse tomorrow night when all members and friends are invited.

A topic of conversation will be the recruitment of former Pakistan Test star Shahid Saeed who spent a couple of seasons playing for clubs in Bangladesh with which Mujibur Rahman, the general manager of Rilys, is familiar.