There’ll be plenty of celebrations down at St Albans this year as the club mark their 125th anniversary.

The Clarence Park-based cricket club already boast one of the prettiest pavilions in Hertfordshire, built in time for their debut season back in 1894, and have a number of commemorative and celebratory events in the pipeline.

And they have been busy through the winter making sure the grand old ground is ready for its moment in the spotlight again.

Andy Saunders said: “We’ve definitely had a good winter. We’ve done some important infrastructure work like overhauling our scoreboard and replacing our pavilion clock.

“And we’ve also gained amazing new headline sponsors in Turner Pope Investments who have helped significantly in securing our club finances.”

On the pitch, hopes are high that the first team can better their sixth-place in Division Two A from 2018, a season that was lit up by a run of six straight wins through the middle of the campaign.

To help, Saints have also been busy during the off-season with recruitment.

Saunders said: “We haven’t lost many, if any of our key players and we’re excited about some good new players who attended our indoor winter nets and who will definitely add real strength to our squads.

“But we’re always looking for new players of all abilities and we’re hoping to continue the development of girls and women’s cricket at the club.”

Among the many talented youngsters available at Clarence Park, one stands out according to Saunders.

He said: “Sammy Kumar is definitely one to look out for this season. He’s a fantastic U16 leg spinner who has also been working with the Middlesex and England disability squads.

“He played in our second-team last year and we’re expecting him to push on significantly this summer.”

The main hope for the season though is one that will be shared at almost every club up and down the country.

“We’re hoping for great weather, that all our young players continue to enjoy cricket and develop their skills and that all our adult league teams compete well and play to their potential this summer.”

Anyone interested in joining the club should go to www.stalbanscc.com or send an email to membership@stalbanscc.com