ON a weekend that saw every sporting fixture in the area cancelled, one of the few training sessions to survive was surprisingly Cricket.

Not normally associated with the freezing cold and icy conditions, the summer sport returned as young players began to gear up for the new season.

Although the new campaign is still four months away, that did not stop more than a dozen young players – aged between six and 18 – turning up for Wessex Cricket Dorset’s first development session of the season.

“The turnout was okay considering the weather conditions and the time of year and it being our first session back after Christmas,” said head coach Sean Fitzgerald. “We run the sessions whatever and the more there the merrier, but if there is a smaller group it’s just as good.”

Under-11s turn out for mini-cricket between 11am and 12.30pm at Redlands Community Sports Hub, with over-11s, up to late teens, turning out between 12.30pm and 2pm.

Each session costs £6, and anyone interested can turn up at Redlands each Saturday, with sessions currently running through until March.