Last updated 19:43, Thursday, 29 May 2008

WORKINGTON Cricket Club has expressed delight at its major three-year sponsorship deal with Studsvik UK.

The £15,000 deal includes sponsorship of the club's first team and its strip.

The partnership secures the club’s immediate future and will enable it to invest in new equipment and improve facilities at the ground.

Workington Cricket Club chairman Brian Stalker said: “Studsvik’s major funding package for Workington Cricket Club is fantastic news for anyone interested in the future of local cricket.”

“The company is a joy to work with and it is very supportive of what we hope to achieve here over the next few years.”

Mark Lyons, president of Studsvik, described Workington Cricket Club as an “integral part of the local sporting scene” which was at the heart of the local community.

He said: “It embodies many of the values that we look to promote. We are confident that our new partnership will enable the club to maintain its recent upward momentum.”

The partnership was sealed the same weekend the club celebrated another milestone when it staged the county MCCA Trophy fixture between Cumberland and Oxfordshire.

It was the second successive year that the club had hosted a prestigious county event and it marked a remarkable improvement in the club’s fortunes.

Just a few years ago the club struggled to field three senior teams and three junior teams but after successfully building links with local schools and encouraging parents to get involved, the club now has a flourishing junior section.

It has more than a 100 youngsters on its books and puts out six junior teams, several of whom have won trophies. The club’s senior team also won the North Lancashire League in 2007 for the first time in over 30 years and head this year’s table.

“With the injection of youth now coming through and new sponsorship by Studsvik, Workington Cricket Club has a bright future,” added Mr Stalker.

Studsvik UK is building a £6m metal recycling facility at Lillyhall that will initially employ 30 people.