A community cricket club which had to “beg, borrow and steal” for players is looking to enter its first competitive tournament in a decade.

Old Gravesendians has been on the brink of folding ever since it suddenly lost an influx of players in 2014.

Ross Coleman, who has been part of the club since 2018, said: “Another club came to share a net session and poached most of the players, leaving us with only five or six stalwarts.

“It was a fight to keep going. We had to beg, borrow and steal to get a side out but there was a core there that wanted to keep it going.”

Ross joined after a WhatsApp message was sent in his rugby group chat asking if anyone wanted to play.

He added: “I had a Sunday free, so I thought why not? I had never played cricket before, but I really enjoyed it and started playing more often.”

The club – based in Bronte View, Gravesend – had previously been part of the Kent Regional League structure but since it struggled to put a team out each week, it pulled out of the competition in 2014.

Since then it has only played friendly games on Sundays each year.

The 39-year-old continued: “There were definitely moments when it was touch and go.

“Sometimes our attendance at AGMs wasn’t big enough to side a team and sometimes you think why are we doing it.

“But we stuck at it for our love of the game and the camaraderie it has brought.

“I have made a lot of good mates through this club.”

During lockdown, the club decided it needed to change so began pushing a recruitment drive to find more players through its social media platforms.

It also set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising £1,000 for new nets. It achieved around £870, with club fundraisers making up the difference.

Now the HM Coastguard operations officer says they have a strong group of 10 to 12 players that can be relied upon each weekend and believes it was this push that has helped keep the club afloat.

Because of this, starting May 6, the club is joining this year’s Kent Senior Smash competition in Sevenoaks – a 100-ball format tournament.

Ross added: “We’re very excited. It’s been a long time since we have played competitive cricket.

“I’ve booked time off work to make sure I am available.

“Our ultimate goal has always been to return to it and this is a good step in the right direction.

“We’re not quite ready to join a weekend league yet but I think in three years we could have another look at it.”