150 not out for Werneth

DEDICATION . . . Carl Hooper shows his prowess for Werneth

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A LOCAL cricket club with a rich history is about to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Werneth CC, founded in 1864 and Central Lancashire League members since 1910, will be staging a series of special events to mark the milestone.

The highlight will be the Coppice club’s staging of the John Willie Lees Wood Cup final, the CLL’s flagship knock-out competition, on August 3.

Werneth CC was formed by Samuel Platt, a director of Platt Brothers, the world’s biggest spinning equipment manufacturer.

For the first five decades of their existence, Werneth played a variety of friendlies, including one against an Australian touring side in 1880 which attracted an amazing 8,000 spectators.

The subsequent link-up with the CLL has proved a lengthy and productive one. Though only one league title has been forthcoming, Werneth have appeared in 16 Wood Cup finals and won 10 — the last in 1990.

One of Werneth’s proudest moments came in 1977 when West Indies captain Clive Lloyd officially opened a new extension at the Coppice.

The Wood Cup final apart, events to mark the anniversary are likely to include a celebration dinner and a match against Moorside for the Trevor Bland Memorial Trophy.

Mr Bland, who died in 2012, had spells as president of both cricket clubs.