ONE HUNDRED years of cricket is being celebrated in a south Herefordshire village this weekend.

The Goodrich Cup Centenary Celebrations will be taking place at The Avenue on Sunday (July 5).

The club’s new pavilion is also being officially opened on what promises to be an historic day for the village.

A meal for players and invited guests, in a marquee at the ground, will be kicking off the festivities at noon.

The Royston Young Pavilion is being officially opened by Pam Young at 2pm.

And then the Goodrich Cup will be played for between a Goodrich team and a Chairman’s Select XI at 2.30pm.

Goodrich spokesman Andy Evans said: “The actual club is a bit older than 100 years but the Goodrich Cup was first played for in 1909.

“The Goodrich Cup was donated to the club in 1909 by Miss Moffatt who owned Goodrich Court and was club president at the time.

“The cricket club was started a few years before the cup and the earliest I can find is 1903.”

Mark Evans, another Goodrich player, says it is fitting the new pavilion will be named after stalwart Royston Young.

“Royston was a big driving force behind the club and the pavilion,” said Mark Evans.

“He was hugely involved in the development of the pavilion and it was such a shame he died a few years ago.”

He added: “The pavilion is being named after him and it’s great that his widow, Pam Young, will be cutting the ribbon to officially open it.”

The cricket match will be a 40-overs-a-side affair and feature some well-known names in Herefordshire cricket.

Andy Brown is skippering a team of current Goodrich players against a Chairman’s Select XI led by Richard Hope.

Club president Eric Winchester will present the Goodrich Cup to the winning captain.

Chairman Hope said: “We are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will be kind to us but we are taking precautions just in case it rains.

“We will have marquees at the ground and rain will not spoil the day.”

The bar will be open all day. There will be a barbecue and live music in the evening.

Hope added: “We think that around 300 people could be coming along and we have an official photographer who will capture the occasion.”

The Chairman’s team will be: Richard Hope (Goodrich, captain), Phil Evans (ex-Goodrich), Rowan Friend (ex-Goodrich), Jim Sandford (Eastnor), Duncan Platford (Luctonians), Andy Rogers (Canon Frome), Will Green (Woolhope), Andy Watkins (Brockhampton), Johnny Walker (Brockhampton), Nick Osborne (Hereford), Tom Bevan (Wormelow).