ENGLAND cricket captains past and present praised the state of cricket during a day at Dymock CC as part of the CricketForce weekend.

Around 150 volunteers pitched in to help paint fences, strip trees and roll the club’s ground on a day they were highlighted in the national initiative.

Current England Test captain Alastair Cook and former skipper Mike Gatting, who led the national side in the late 1980s, were both present at Dymock on Friday.

Cook, who was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in 1984, highlighted the importance of the CricketForce scheme.

“I think CricketForce is important to the future of English cricket,” said the Essex opening batsman.

“I think it shows that cricket is very healthy, certainly here it seems and I’m sure the 2,000 clubs over the weekend will show that.

“Everyone talks about doom and gloom at grassroots at every sport but if you just come out and see it for yourself you see that it’s in a really healthy state.”

Gatting agreed, adding: “It’ll be fantastic to get the rest of the ground looking as good as the new pavilion.

“The turnout has been fantastic especially when you think about where we are in the middle of the Gloucestershire countryside.”

He also praised the work of Steve Silk, chief executive of the Gloucestershire Cricket Board.

“Steve Silk has done a great job,” he added.

“It seems like he’s been around forever but its somewhere close to 5-6 years now and he has turned this around.

|He has got out into Gloucester and the rural areas rather than staying in Cheltenham or Bristol and he’s really tried to galvanise cricket in Gloucestershire because it is strong.

“|t’s got a good heritage along with the rugby and they seem to go together, certainly in this area. So I think with the work Steve and the Gloucestershire Cricket Board are doing Gloucestershire cricket is improving all the time.”