Merredin man Gavin Cornish said he is trying to put a team together so his 14 year old son Dylan can enjoy a social game, but has been stumped by the lack of interest so far.

“Years ago, Nungarin, Nukarni, Westonia and Merredin all had B-Grade cricket teams, but now they are all struggling and the only team near here is Kellerberrin,” he said.

“Last year was the hardest year we’ve ever had, and we ended up calling whoever we could just to field a team each week but this year is looking even worse.”

He said he thought cricket was going out of fashion because it was a long game and took up Saturday afternoons.

“It’s disappointing if kids are spending their Saturdays indoors playing computer games rather than getting involved in sport,” he said.

“Kids don’t like standing out in the sun for very long, their attention span is shorter these days.

“But in B-Grade cricket we don’t have to play full length games, we can just play some muck-around 20-20

games.

“All we really want to do is provide something for kids and old blokes to get out and have some fun.”

Mr Cornish said he believed the number of teenagers going away to boarding school had contributed to the lack of cricket enthusiasts in town, and a lack of volunteers to help organise the sport was also a problem.

“So far I have heard from eight youngsters who are keen, but I need a few more otherwise it can’t go ahead and they will miss out,” he said.

Mr Cornish said all gear was provided and only minimal fees would apply for covering costs.

“I’m calling on anyone between the age of 13 and 80, male or female, of any ability, to come and have a fun, laid-back hit of cricket on Saturdays,” he said.

Anyone interested can contact Mr Cornish on 0428 411 786.