THIS spring marks a time of change for Ebbw Vale cricket club, whose astounding history dates back more than 160 years.

Five senior members of the club, as well as two independent representatives, have formed Ebbw Vale Cricket Limited – a social enterprise set up to save the future of the club’s cricket school.

And it is a future which definitely seems bright for the cricket club, with the committee always welcoming new members from as young as under nines to those in their 70s.

“We don’t stop anyone playing, anyone’s welcome to come along,” said Nick Pepper, club secretary.

“Our oldest player is in his 60s. You can start at anytime. We have a large number started who haven’t ever played cricket. One guy has just started playing cricket last year at age 26.”

Unlike some other sports, cricket is quite technical, said Mr Pepper, and so to get really good at the sport, players have to put in a lot of hours of practice.

“You have to get them at an early age to develop them into really good players. We like to get them early because the earlier you start learning the longer you get to develop your skills.

“Fitness isn’t such an issue at club level as in football and rugby. But it’s quite technical, to play properly it’s quite technical.”

The club has certainly produced a lot of good players, with many players going on to be selected to play for Gwent’s age group sides, as well as players going on to Wales.

“For all the clubs in Gwent, there is winter training for about 10 weeks and then they select the Gwent squad. We have five under 10s, one under 15s and one under 12s from Ebbw Vale who play for Gwent.”

Ebbw Vale’s club has also seen many of its cricketers go on to play for Wales, such as Robson Blake and Jamie Nancarrow.

“We have been pretty good over the years,” said Mr Pepper.

So what makes a good player?

“Dedication and being able to put in the hours of practice,” Mr Pepper said.

“You can go through bad patches but you have got to work through it and practice and practice. So I’d say it’s dedication and a love of the game.

“It’s one of the games where people often say it’s long or boring. It’s one of those sports which you either love it or loathe, so you definitely need to love it”.

Those who play cricket do not have to be exclusively cricket players either. Mr Pepper said because of the timings of the seasons, when the football and rugby seasons end many of their players come and play cricket. Mr Pepper himself plays the three sports.

Cricket has been played in South Wales since the 1930s, but Ebbw Vale played their first recorded match in the summer of 1852 – the same year the first passenger railway service came to the town.

But it was the 19th century influx of workers in the iron and coal industries in Ebbw Vale which helped develop the cricket in the town, with cricket even included by teachers on the school curriculum.

The cricket club has always been in its current location of Eugene Cross Park - although this was formerly called the Welfare Ground – and has a cricket pavilion which was built in 1932 and a licensed bar. The club even became known for its generous pavilion hospitality; in 1871 the Argus itself reported the cricket club “provided a sumptuous supper” for its opponents after the game.

Today, the club runs a first team and a second team in league cricket on a Saturday, and then there is a friendly match on the Sunday.

For the juniors, the club runs teams for under nines, under 11s, under 13s and under 15s, all with girls too.

And it is the indoor cricket school – one of just a handful of such facilities in Wales – which is one of the reasons the club is so valued by young cricketers.

The club opened its cricket school in 1963, thanks to the Ebbw Vale Welfare Association who built it at a cost of £15,000, and then refurbished in 1995.

But last year the school, which was owned by Blaenau Gwent council, was under threat.

“In times of austerity, the council has to make some tough decisions about the services and assets it can maintain,” said David Waggett, the council’s chief executive officer.

But thanks to Nick Pepper, four other club directors, councillor David White and Steve Watkins from Cricket Wales who formed social enterprise Ebbw Vale Cricket Ltd., the school has a future.

The council made a community asset transfer of the club to the new company – meaning a shift in ownership from a local authority to a community.

Mr Pepper said: “The situation that the local authority is finding itself in, we thought we could take it on.

“But it’s not just for the club, it’s for anyone, it’s for local groups. So far it’s been brilliant.

“Our main aims now is to maintain the facilities for the community organisations and clubs, and we’re also hoping to upgrade the facility.”

Mr Pepper said the club wants to better market the indoor cricket school, so other spots clubs and societies can use it as a facility.

The new company sought advice from the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations as well as drawing up an extensive business plan before the community transfer went through.

“I think the improvements won’t happen overnight, but little things have happened already, like funding for some new netting,” Mr Pepper said. They also need a new boiler, new windows and doors.

But the club is feeling positive about the future and is hoping to continue from strength to strength in its 100 plus history.

“We took it on because we thought we could do a good job of it,” Mr Pepper said. “We already have the contacts, we are in the business of cricket so we know the market.”