Phil Dewhurst has done more than anyone to transform White Coppice Cricket Club without scoring a single run or taking a wicket.

That’s because he’s the club’s groundsman and has been winning rave reviews for the quality of the wickets produced this season.

Dewhurst works as a sales director for a sports turf company and deals with elite sports clubs.

As a child he used to visit White Coppice on a regular basis and jumped at the chance to buy a house next to the ground four years ago.

“Because of my background I could tell from the condition of the ground that things were declining,” he said.

“The grass wasn’t being cut regularly and the square wasn’t in the best shape.

“I used to watch cricket at the weekend and got talking to the players and it was clear that White Coppice was under genuine threat.

“I offered to cut the outfield in the second half of 2024 and it went from there.

“The club was at a crossroads. People either mucked in or the club was at risk of folding altogether.

“The idea of cricket not being played at White Coppice was unthinkable so I volunteered to become the groundsman.

“I’ve advised professional groundsmen for 30 years but I’ve never been on the tools so I decided it was my time to give it a go.”

Dewhurst started attending the committee meetings during the winter while working on the ground.

“We started renovating the square at the end of 2024,” he recalled. “We scarified, reseeded and top-dressed the square with a loam surface.”

Dewhurst said mother nature played its part with a period of good weather before the 2025 season started.

“The dry weather gave us the opportunity to create a hard wicket that’s produced lots of runs,” he said.

“In the last 12 months I’ve seen success on and off the field. The atmosphere has completely changed and there’s a feel-good factor around the club.”

Dewhurst spends up to 10 hours a week working on the ground and said he’s been putting in overtime preparing the MCC wicket for June 22nd. He’s even been interviewed on BBC Radio Lancashire.

“The MCC is the ultimate test at this level,” he said. “The wicket will be in the middle of the square.

“What’s been nice is the sheer number of compliments I’ve been getting for the condition of the ground, including from the players, visiting captains, walkers and local residents. It’s great to feel part of the team.”