Back in September last year, parts of Stony's 90-year-old clubhouse were decimated by fire.

The majority of the wooden pavilion – one of the very few traditional cricket pavilions left in the area and a potential tinderbox – miraculously escaped the flames.

However, the rest of the building was not so fortunate and much of the changing areas, the garage and their contents were completely decimated by the fire.

Despite their on-field success in recent years, Stony are still a club of limited resources and the fall-out from the fire cast a serious doubt on the club's short term future.

As well as the extensive rebuilding and repair work needed to the building itself, the loss of much of the club's maintenance equipment – tractor, mowers – left them facing an uphill battle to get everything ready for the April 18 club opening.

Fortunately, the fantastic efforts of local firms City Renovations Ltd and Advanced Turf Machinery have come to the rescue.

City Renovations Ltd have restored the garage and dressing rooms to an immaculate state while Advanced Local Machinery have also been very helpful in terms of saving and refurbishing partially damaged ground equipment. Both company's efforts are much appreciated by everyone at the club.

Club members have also chipped in with the clean-up operation and the club is now arguably in the healthiest state it's been for a number of years!

However, the weather has not been kind over the winter, with the entire cricket and football ground area under a couple of feet of water several times in the last few months and this has made preparing a cricket square very difficult indeed.

Several months ago the club's future looked to be going up in flames, but thanks to the professionalism of some local firms and some hard work from the members, the club is now in a situation they could not have possibly hoped for.

Stony open their new Northants League season on Saturday April 26 when they travel to face Northampton Saints.