THE long wait is over for Prestatyn Cricket Club as work has finally started on a £100,000 upgrade of the pavilion at its Beach Close ground.

The refurbishment, which is being carried out by local building firm Elmwood Construction, is scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2017 season in April and will include a memorial clock in honour of club legend Tony Young.

The 122-year-old club has been working for five years to get all the necessary funding in place, made up of sponsorship by local businesses, money raised by members and a grant from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Club chair Peter Tidswell said: “We are extremely happy that we have managed to secure the funding and sponsorship for the work that will bring the pavilion up to a standard that the whole community can use.”

The new-look changing rooms at the club will include, for the first time, dedicated facilities for female players, while the refurbished clubhouse will incorporate a function room with on-site catering and full disabled access.

The Tony Young clock will serve as a tribute to the club’s late father figure, who served Prestatyn in a variety of roles for more than half a century until his sudden death in 2013 at the age of 76.

He was also an elected member of the former Rhuddlan Borough Council, serving on numerous committees and outside bodies for a number of years.

His son, Chris – who coaches the junior players at the club, including his own son, Alex – explained that the clock would be financed by a dedicated memorial fund, which was launched with donations from his father’s funeral and has been enhanced by subsequent fundraising.

He said of the permanent tribute: “It is something we really wanted to do, bearing in mind he had been there for 50-odd years as player, chairman, captain and in other roles.”

Looking ahead to the completion of the pavilion refurbishment, Mr Tidswell said: “It’s extremely important that sporting clubs like ours prosper so that future generations can take full advantage. The club helped my two boys grow in self-belief and confidence and helped enable them to grow into the people they are today.

“I’m happy knowing that all this hard work will result in other children having the same opportunities.”

As well as its Liverpool Competition senior teams, Prestatyn also runs junior sides at under-nine, under-11, under-13 and under-15 level as well as offering coaching to players from as young as six.

Mr Tidswell said: “All members of the community are welcome whether you want to be an adult or junior playing or social member.”

l Anybody interested in providing sponsorship for the club is asked to email prestatyncricket@gmail.com