LAST season Cleeve Cricket Club marked its 60th anniversary by taking on the Gloucestershire Gladiators in a Twenty20 match - an occasion which will be repeated later this year.

LAST season Cleeve Cricket Club marked its 60th anniversary by taking on the Gloucestershire Gladiators in a Twenty20 match - an occasion which will be repeated later this year.

The 2008 match was held as part of Craig Spearman's benefit year and the 2009 clash at newly-promoted Cleeve's Meeting House Lane ground is taking place in aid of Gloucestershire's Chris Taylor.

Last year Cleeve's First XI won the first division title. The team was promoted to the Bristol and District Senior Division in impressive style, winning 11 out of 12 matches.

After experiencing one of its most successful ever seasons, the club is planning to host a junior and senior registration evening on April 21.

It is hoped the event will help strengthen the junior and senior squads for the coming season.

Club chairman Allan Burn said: "Next season will be an enormous challenge for the first team to ensure that, at a minimum, it maintains its senior division status and, even better, builds on last season's success by pressing for back-to-back promotions.

"To do this it is essential that we strengthen our resources by recruiting quality players."

The Twenty20 match against the Gladiators is being staged with the support of two main sponsors, Clevedon Garages and Gibbs Engineering.

First team captain Mike Haswell said: "The coming season will be interesting but with some hard competition. The Twenty20 match will prove a great opportunity for our young players to pit themselves against some of the best players and to measure their own abilities."

The registration evening will take place at the club from 7.30pm onwards. For more details please call John Hance on 07943 858786.