THE president of Greenock Cricket Club has praised Glenpark members after they teamed up to help the club through 'the biggest challenge in its history'.

David Glancy says the club has been hit hard on and off the field by coronavirus, with their league and cup fixtures cancelled and facilities such as the clubhouse shut down, cutting off income.

With lockdown now being eased officials hope that the club can come out of the other side of the virus ready to face the future.

Mr Glancy told the Tele: “We’re really quite enthusiastic about the resumption of cricket training and activities.

"Safety is paramount in all of this and the route that Cricket Scotland have set it out is quite restrictive.

“Our season has been hugely impacted both in terms of the league and the cup games and we look forward to seeing just how much of that can be salvaged.

“We are a club with excellent facilities and a great social scene, so during all of this we have taken a bit hit on and off the park.

"But we need to be self-reliant in times like this, and that’s what we are doing.

“The club is over 150-years-old and this is probably the biggest challenge that the club has had to face.

“I don’t know what happened during the last war, but if you look up on the board you can see that presidents were elected and you can that cricket was allowed to still be played recreationally during that period.

“We’ve been on the go since 1861 and this is probably the longest period where no cricket of any shape or form has been played at all.

“That in itself shows you just how much of an impact that the virus has had on the club.”

Mr Glancy says the good stewardship of the club has stood it in good stead during the pandemic.

He said: “We are weathering the storm and we are very prudent in the way we run the club.

"We’re confident that we will come out the other end - we’ve got a committed membership who’ve helped out and done a good job.”

Club members have been quick to pitch in and help, helping to keep Glenpark in pristine condition with the groundsmen furloughed.

Mr Glancy said: “We’ve had a small number of club members who have been keeping the ground in good nick since lockdown started.

“There’s been about half a dozen members going up sporadically to keep it all in shape and Glenpark is looking fantastic because of this."

With training having resumed and the junior sections back the club is already looking to the future.

Mr Glancy said: “We’re just hoping that we can get back, and really appeal to folk who may want to give it a try because the pathway is clear to see in this club.

"You could walk right in the door and have a talent and end up playing professional for Scotland like past members have done."