HEREFORDSHIRE Cricket Ltd has boosted its complement of directors to nine at the organisation's annual meeting at Pentland Gardens.

With the imminent merger of the county sport's governing body with Herefordshire County Cricket Club, which has been approved at both bodies' annual meetings during the past month, five committee members from the county club will assume directorial responsibilities.

Ian Macklin becomes performance director, David Phillips becomes company secretary, Ian Milton will be marketing director, Jim Sandford will become director with responsibility for clubs and Richard Prime takes over from Chris Ammonds, who is stepping down from the board, as PR and communications director.

In addition, current Herefordshire Cricket Ltd welfare officer Claire Langford will become welfare director.

The six new directors join chairman Derek Ling, finance director Steve Newton and operations director Steve Watkins on the new look board.

HCL's annual meeting heard that the organisation had made a loss of £8,500 on the year, compared with an expected deficit of £2,000.

This was largely accounted for by the cancellation of an under-17 fixture, for which the hotel accommodation had already been paid. The cancellation brought a reduction in the annual grant from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

A loss of £12,500 has been budgeted for the current financial year, largely due to the appointment of Richard Skyrme as club development manager, a position which has to be funded by HCL rather than the ECB.

HCL will also be looking to rekindle activity within the county's coaching association which has been largely dormant for the past two years.

An event is planned before the 2019 cricket season to which coaches in the county will be invited.