JER LANE, seeking three successive Premier Division titles in the Foster's Halifax League – a feat that has not been achieved since Mytholmroyd won four in 1942-45 – are also making strides of the field.

Following work undertaken by club treasurer James Nixon and first-team captain Michael Hustler during the winter, the club have secured a grant of £9,129 from The Big Lottery Fund to make further improvements to the clubhouse.

The money has funded a new central heating boiler and radiators and the club have also purchased new tables and chairs and laid new flooring in the pavilion.

Jer Lane have self-financed the previous improvements they have made but this is the first time they have ever received an external grant.

Committee member Mark Piotr said: “It wasn’t that the club couldn’t self-finance such a project, it was going to take time to raise the equivalent amount that the Big Lottery Fund has provided.

"We are extremely grateful for the support received from The Big Lottery Fund.

“Players and members have come to expect certain standards, and it is important that we remain ahead of the game if the club wants to prosper further and attract new talent.

"We also want all visitors to the club to come away with a positive experience and become a benchmark in the Halifax Cricket League."

Piotr added: “The club will make further improvements to the ground in the next few years and the committee are already planning their next projects and how these will be financed."

The club’s facilities are already used regularly by a local pre and after-school club, and a development plan to forge links with local primary schools is also a high-priority project at the club.

Chiefly thanks to the efforts of committee members and current players, such as club secretary David Horsfall and Level Two qualified coaches Andrew Pinfield and Nasir Chowdrey, Jer Lane are fielding teams at under-nines, 11s and 13s this season, as well as continuing with their under- 17s.