Northallerton Town Cricket Club professional Jonathan Barnes has been engaged again for the 2004 season - his tenth successive year.

Long established as one of the top all-round professionals in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League, Barnes played another huge part in securing Northallerton's Premier League status in 2003.

Bowling a mammoth 520 overs he took 77 wickets at an average of 14.55 and scored 497 runs, averaging 35.5.

The news of his appointment was welcomed at the club's annual general meeting this week when members also learned that Town's Doug Mulholland had gained the award as the NY & SD Premiership's top amateur bowler in 2003, with 33 wickets (14.54).

Club secretary David Wake reported that although Town's first team had eventually comfortably avoided a threat of relegation from the Premiership in 2003 and beaten a number of the top teams, it had suffered from inconsistency.

Unavailability of key players had contributed to an unsatisfactory cup campaign. Other Town teams had done well, however.

David Wake also reported that a big boost to the club for the coming season was the installation during the winter of two artificial practice pitches and nets, helped by a £1,000 grant from the Lords Taverners.

Although the club had lost its main sponsor at the start of 2003 much hard work had been done to replace and attract further sponsorship, which is vital to its operation and future.

Financially Northallerton Town CC had a good year. Treasurer Keith Place reported an overall profit of £5,437 for 2003, having just two years ago shown a small loss. The improvement was due largely to abetter bar turnover and profits.