A LOCAL cricket club committee has been honoured by the England Cricket Board after saving its club from going out of business.

In March 2003, Chorley Cricket Club was on the verge of collapse through mounting debts, and about to sell its ground to a property developer.

A new committee was formed, however, and transformed the Northern League club within a year, bringing about financial stability and improving the playing area.

Now the ECB have named it as one of the winners of the 2004 Outstanding Service to Cricket awards, which were announced at Lord's this week.

The committee won the Cricket Force award for "a group of volunteers who managed a project to improve the clubhouse and/or the club's grounds".

During the year the committee completely reorganised the club's on and off the field activities, including redecoration of the function room to increase business by 500 per cent.

Chorley officials, Judith and Neil Whitmarsh, and Rodney Finnen, received their award from England players Mark Butcher and Clare Connor, while Keith Pont, ECB Director of Development, said: "While I congratulate Chorley as they fully deserve their award, I also thank the many other thousands of volunteers who selflessly perform similar roles for the benefit of others and cricket in general.

"These people are the real heroes of our sport."