BRIGG BLOG PREVIEWS THE 2022 CRICKET SEASON WHICH BEGINS THIS WEEKEND

Four teams from Brigg Blog's area - all members of the Lincolnshire County Cricket League - will soon be starting the 2022 season.
One of them, Broughton 2nds, will be playing this Saturday (April 16), hosting Outcasts 2nds in Division Three West (1pm start).
It's unusual for the cricket season to begin over an Easter weekend.
First games of the campaign for Broughton (first team, Division One), Hibaldstow (Division Two) and Brigg Town (Division Three West) will be coming up later - details to appear on Brigg Blog in due course. The vast majority of fixtures are played on Saturdays.
Brigg will again be playing home matches at the Recreation Ground, off Wrawby Road, with spectators always welcome.
Many ex-players will be popping down to see how the current Town team is doing.
Division Three, which was previously so large its teams only played each other once a season, has now been divided into East and West sections.
This has been made possible by the admission of three new sides to the Lincs League - Nettleham 3rds, Grimoldby and Brocklesby Park.
Park, whose playing members include some former Brigg Town players, will be hosting matches at Keelby, having left the club's historic ground near Brocklesby Hall (not far from Humberside Airport, Kirmington) a few years ago.
The league will again be operating three cup competitions to supplement league fixtures.
Top teams will be in the George Marshall Trophy, middle-ranked sides play in the Bob Welton Cup, while those in the lower divisions take part in the Supplementary Cup. This involves qualifying leagues, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals. Supplementary Cup matches are of shorter duration than league fixtures.
League official Glen Sands tells us: "The Premier Division has been reduced to 10 teams, which is something the league has been trying to achieve for some time now."
When the top section had more sides, it was difficult to fit in all the fixtures on available Saturdays.
The majority of games throughout the league will be played during May, June, July and August... with some continuing in September.
The Lincolnshire League - the historic county's largest in terms of teams - was founded in the early 1960s.
Having a number of paid-up members in the Brigg area, the Lincolnshire County Club will be playing some of its fixtures in northern Lincolnshire.
Three-day matches are in the National Counties League (formerly known as the Minor Counties competition).
There will also be one-day 50-over games and some in the T20 format (20 overs).
The county club's north-of-the-county three-day league game for 2022 has been arranged for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, July 10, 11 & 12 at Cleethorpes Cricket Club's Chichester Road Ground, against Staffordshire.
The annual county game at Cleethopes always attracts spectators from the Brigg area to watch one or more days' play - some opting to use trains from Barnetby station to the resort's terminus.
In the NCCA Trophy (50 overs) Lincs will host Cumbria at Scunthorpe Town Cricket Club's venue on Sunday, May 29.
The steel town ground, off Ashby Road, will also be the venue for a game between Lincolnshire Development and a Lincolnshire ECB League XI on Wednesday, June 1. Hornsby buses from Brigg drop off and pick up right outside the entrance to this venue.
County club spokesman Chris Keywood tells us the Lincs first team will be captained by Joe Kendall in 2022 - Carl Wilson having stood down after five successful years in the role.
Mark Fell continues as Director of Cricket; together with Gary Brumby (Scunthorpe), 'Felly' will manage the County’s Development XI.
Chris says: "Following the merger with the Lincolnshire Cricket Board, Lincolnshire County Cricket Club face the forthcoming season in good heart and are looking forward to an exciting and successful season in the three National Counties competitions in which they will compete."

PICTURED: Above - cricket being played on our local grounds - Brigg Rec, Hibaldstow (with its distinctive tree inside the boundary) and Broughton. Below - the ground in Cleethorpes which spectators from the Brigg area will be visiting to watch the county game in July.