Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2025 season after a record-breaking 2024 and some major pre-season off-field developments.
The Crow Lane based club, a fixture in the town since 1858, are celebrating numerous honours, both team and individual, achieved throughout all sectors of the club.
The first team, who play in the Liverpool Competition Premier Division – the highest level of club cricket in the country – finished a creditable 8th after promotion in 2023. Both the second and third teams won their respective divisions; the 2XI winning promotion to the Premier Division and the 3XI winning the Sunday Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.
Newton Cricket Club 2025 1XI Captain Ben Walkden.
The junior section collected trophies at all age-groups, with the u-15s winning their league and the u-13s completing a league and cup double. The Club’s ladies section continued its expeditious growth, finishing runners-up in their league and levels of participation increasing for the second consecutive season.
However, Newton’s honours weren’t just limited to teams. Recently appointed 2025 1XI Captain, Ben Walkden, was named the Liverpool Comp Player of the Season, the first Newton player ever to be awarded the accolade and the youngest recipient in the league’s history.
Club Chairman, Ian Walkden, said: “2024 has seen the club go from strength to strength. All sections of the club either met, or in the vast majority of cases, exceeded pre-season expectations.
“Progress isn’t always linear, however, the trajectory of the club over the past few seasons has been in a consistently positive direction. With a robust long-term growth strategy being implemented, I am confident we are building the foundations of a successful, inclusive club which will continue to go from strength to strength in forthcoming years”.
Exemplifying the ‘long-term strategy’, ambitious plans for 2025 are already underway both on and off the field.
The club have recently made a five-figure investment in the installation of two hybrid wickets on the cricket square, ensuring a sporting surface of the calibre normally the preserve only of County and International cricket grounds. Newton-le-Willows CC will also be the first club in the Liverpool Comp league to boast these wickets. Plans are also afoot for the installation of new seating at the ground and refurbishment of the net facilities.
On the field, the senior squad has been bolstered by some high-profile signings, notably Adnan Miakhel, known to millions from his starring role in Freddie Flintoff’s BBC documentary series ‘Freddie’s field of dreams’. 18-year-old Adnan complements a strong 1XI which includes several other promising youngsters, notably Ben Walkden (Cumbria minor counties allrounder), Lancashire age group players Leo Spilsbury and Dylan Yates plus Lancashire Women’s under-18 bowler Emilia Lamb.
Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club Chairman Ian Walkden with members of the NLWCC under-9s squad.
The youthful feel of the squad is due to the strong youth set-up at the club and the clear pathway lighting up the route from junior to senior cricket. The aforementioned Walkden, Yates and Lamb have all progressed through the entirety of this junior set-up, all commencing their cricket journeys with Newton’s under-9s team.
Get involved – on or off the pitch
Interested observers are invited to visit the club for a drink (or two!) on sunny summer Friday evenings, when more than 100 children of both genders play cricket on the outfield. The children training in Newton’s junior age-group squads are complemented by the club hosting ‘All Stars’ and ‘Dynamos’ cricket courses. This English Cricket Board (ECB) supported programme offers children their first experiences of cricket. Last season over 50 children took part with many subsequently joining the Newton’s u-9 and u-11 teams.
Participants in the popular Friday night ‘AllStars and Dynamoes’ programme at Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club.
And there’s also been a focus on Womens and Girls cricket over recent years. Newton-le-Willows CC are pleased to be participating in the vanguard of this drive with the establishment for the 2025 season of the club’s first ever dedicated Girls team. Additionally, the Club’s Ladies softball team will be competing in the Ladies’ ‘Super 8s’ League for the first time.
Members of Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club Ladies Softball Squad.
Ian added: “I’m hearing about many clubs, not just those based in Merseyside and Lancashire leagues but also further afield, making very complementary platitudes about the progression of our club. The introduction for the 2025 season of a 4th senior team plus a dedicated girls team, means that we offer opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, backgrounds and previous cricket experience.
“I firmly believe NLWCC epitomize the mantra ‘cricket is for all’. I have never been more excited about the club’s prospects and look forward to seeing our upward trajectory continuing for many years to come”.
For more information about Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club, visit their website.
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