Double joy in Cardiff

ECB's Mike Gatting, plus Robert Croft and Glamorgan team-mates Mark Wallace and Mike Powell take time out to sign some autographs

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The Lisvane Cricket Club in Cardiff was a place of dramatic contrasts over the NatWest CricketForce weekend.

On Saturday, it was a hive of frenzied activity with more than 300 volunteers toiling away in the spring sunshine. On Sunday, it was .......empty!

Cardiff's success in reaching the FA Cup Final grabbed everyone's attentions on Sunday as around 40,000 Welsh folk made the trip up to Wembley to be swept up in the fairy tale. Back in Llanishen, the monumental NatWest CricketForce job list, which had taken such a battering on Saturday, was cast aside but no one was worried.

"We had such a good day on Saturday that it meant we could enjoy Sunday," said Ian Morgan, who heads up the youth section of the Club and is also a member of the 15-strong NWCF organising committee at Lisvane.

Glamorgan's Mark Wallace helps out with some fence painting

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"We cleared the ground and built a big fence around half of it, we painted the Club house and installed the kitchen. We got a third of the way through laying the patio and started building a path. We carrowed the square and had quite a bit of fun with the tractor doing some ploughing so it was a very productive day."

Many of Glamorgan's squad, including Robert Croft, Mark Wallace and Mike Powell turned out to lend a hand and Mike Gatting, the former England captain who is now ECB's Managing Director of Cricket Partnerships volunteered his support by painting a picket fence.

"The best part of the weekend was seeing the players with all the kids, signing autographs and playing cricket in the NatWest Roadshow. It was wonderful," said Ian.

"Mike Gatting is a legend and to have him at Lisvane gave everyone such a boost. A huge buzz. We wondered on Saturday night how we were going to match it on Sunday but luckily, Cardiff City made sure we did."

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Ken Mitchell, who many credit with securing much of the £250,000 worth of materials and services required to build the new pavilion and complete the Club's transformation, was one of the Lisvane members who found himself on the road to Wembley.

As the owner of a taxi company, he had to abandon his NatWest CricketForce endeavours on Sunday to take seven football fans to the match before returning to Cardiff in the evening, with a smile on his face. It was a memorable weekend, Ian said.

"Things worked out perfectly for us as they did for Hambledon who presumably were a little distracted by Pompey's fortunes. Since it will be a Cardiff v Portsmouth final, we were thinking of asking Hambledon for a cricket match but it will have to take place before May 17."

Football rivalries apart, NatWest CricketForce has produced a great sense of community at Lisvane which will sustain the Club through the season and many years to come.

"It has been absolutely amazing," said Ian.

"By the time we have finished, we will have quarter of a million pounds worth of work done here and it will have cost us around £25,000. It tells us about the power of everyone coming together to do this. We reckon that coming together is like a ten times multiplier. It has a been a great success."

Glamorgan's Mike Powell has his tractor and is ready to help with the groundwork

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