SPORTING volunteers are pitching in to revive Weardale's lost cricketing heritage.

Once a hotbed of village cricket, the dale's only league team disbanded at the end of 2001 because it could not recruit new players.

The Darlington and District Division A side had missed that year's season because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. It lost its clubhouse when Wear Valley District Council closed the Eastgate Leisure Centre.

Now regulars at Stanhope's Grey Bull Inn are leading a move to form a new club and are preparing a wicket on the village's original showfield pitch.

The group has spent a year organising the project and hopes to be playing competitive matches next season.

With a committee and constitution already in place, the club has raised funds for initial work at the ground, where members spent three days removing 300 square metres of turf, applying loam and planting grass seed.

Tom Francis, chairman of Durham Cricket Groundsmen's Association, advised on the preparation work, while Wear Valley Sports Action Zone, the 2D volunteer agency and the Market Towns Initiative team helped secure funding from the Lafarge community pot and Durham County Small Projects Fund.

The ground will eventually be available for community events and other sports.

Club secretary Alan Morton said: "It is amazing what can be achieved when people work together for the good of the community.

"We look forward to the return of club cricket next season and, hopefully, the expansion of other activities."

Nigel Douthwaite, Wear Valley Sports Club development officer, said: "The committee and volunteers should be congratulated for their work on this project. We have further planning to do over the winter months, however things are looking very good for dales cricket in 2005."

Anyone interested in joining as a player or volunteer can call Alan Morton on 0771 4158266, or Noel Page at the Grey Bull.