Following a couple of difficult seasons for Ashmanhaugh & Barton Wanderers both on and off the field the club is now ready to bounce back.

Wanderers have suffered successive relegations in the Norfolk Alliance to slip down from the Premier Division to Division Two, while team-raising problems have forced them to concede a number of fixtures at a lower level.

But now a revised committee, inspired by a strong youth section that has provided the club with the bulk of their first-team players, are determined to get the club moving in the right direction again.

One of the new faces is Australian Rob Humphries, whose connection to their Barton Turf base goes back over 12 years. He is confident the club have put their problems behind them and can carve out a bright future at one of Norfolk cricket's most iconic venues.

'I've heard the normal Norfolk cricket whispers that the club is in trouble and is going to fold but we're alive and kicking,' he insisted.

'With myself and a couple of other fresh faces on the committee of the club, along with a number of kind financial backers, Wanderers are 100pc open for business.

'I fell in love with Barton Turf on my third day in England back in 2004 when I rocked up for my first net session as a 19-year-old from the middle of nowhere in Australia and there is simply no better place to play cricket.'

While the club are determined to keep their youth section flourishing, the need to add a few more mature heads to the squad is key to their plans to be back in the Premier Division by the start of the 2019 season.

For 2017 the club are now actively recruiting and are taking applications for the positions of coach for the under-15, under-13, under-11 and under-nine age groups.

All applicants must be quality, proven cricketers available to play for the first team.

The successful applicants will work with a designated team manager for their age group and must be available to attend weekly junior training sessions and fixtures as well as senior men's practice. It is hoped that the successful applicants will also be of such character that they can be considered for the role of first team captain.

The club have made significant resources available to recruit the right people to help rejuvenate and grow the club's senior section while continuing its focus on youth development. All interested parties are invited to forward their enquiries to Humphries via rob@worldsportsxchange.co.uk or by phone on 07961238397.