THE region’s cricket players and supporters may be thinking about what could have been this weekend.

The season was due to start today (Saturday, April 25) with Montgomery at home to Lilleshall, Newtown at home to Chirk, Welshpool at home to Weaton Aston, Guilsfield away to Alberbury and Llanidloes at home to Shrewsbury Thirds.

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, it remains suspended until further notice despite grounds across the region looking better that ever at this time of year thanks to the warm weather.

Although Lymore Cricket Ground is closed to the public, groundskeeper Stan Davies is allowed in to maintain the ground where Montgomery play home games.

He said: “Despite the wettest February on record we’re now having the best build-up to a cricket season in terms of weather that I can remember.

“The grounds would be perfect for the start of the season. Normally you’re running about trying to get covers on.”

John Barker, chairman of Montgomery Cricket Club added: “Everybody desperately wants to get some form of cricket at some point, but it’s a question of will things ease up enough to allow us to play.

“We have a really vibrant club, we all love the game and we want to play, but when you see what our fabulous NHS staff and other key workers are doing you have to keep all of this in some sort of perspective.”

Prior to the pandemic, Montgomery had appointed Andrew Barker as captain and were hopeful of a successful campaign in Shropshire Division Two, while the Second Team will once again be led by David Jones.