WHILE England's cricketers continue to perform well against Australia in the Ashes, a local cricket club also had cause for celebration this week.

Stanhope Cricket Club, in Weardale, County Durham, played their first game in more than 40 years after the club folded in the 1960s.

They reformed towards the end of last year and gathered at the town's Unthank Field for a celebration game between an A and B side -their first fixture in four decades.

They will enter a league next summer and bring cricket back to the town after a gap spanning a generation.

The two teams were made up of players from the club and other cricketers from the area, and the A team came out on top. Club secretary Alan Morton said: "The result was secondary to the event itself.

"We loved the fact we were playing. We had played as a pub team for a few years as the Grey Bull. We got together in the pub and thought it would be nice to get it together again, so we decided to give it a go."

The pitch needed a bit of work to restore it to its former glory -"sheep have been running on it for 30-odd years," said Mr Morton -but officials said they received help from several sources.

Donations came from the Lefarge Community Fund, Durham County Community Fund and an anonymous donor, while Stanhope Agricultural Show Committee, which owns the field, provided a 25-year lease.

Wear Valley District Council's sports development officer, Nigel Douthwaite, said: "You will go a long way to find a more spectacular setting to play cricket. I wish the club every success."

Former players such as Jack and Robby Gray, renowned for hitting sixes across the nearby railway line, were present at the game.

A set of 50 commemorative watercolours, titled The First Match, have been created by local artist Alistair Wallace to commemorate the event. They are priced £49.99, and £20 from each sale will be donated to the club for development of young players. Order forms are available at the Grey Bull, in Stanhope.