THIS year is shaping up to be a big year for Denbigh Cricket Club.

The Vale of Clwyd club is looking forward to celebrating its 175th anniversary.

Formed in 1844, the club is believed to be one of the oldest in Wales and Denbigh area looking for as many former players, supporters, volunteers and sponsors as possible to get involved with the exciting programme of events being planned for the year.

Outlining the events, organiser Craig Stubbs stressed the importance of involving anyone with a connection to the club in the celebrations.

“We are really looking forward to this year and we have a plan of events that we think will encourage everyone who has contributed to the club through the years to get back in touch and celebrate what is a big milestone – there can’t be many other clubs with a history dating back so far," he said.

"The highlight of the year will definitely be the 175th summer ball, which is being held on June 8.

"We’re going for a special black tie event in a marquee on the Ystrad Road ground and for that, we are expecting a really big turnout of supporters of the club to gather together and celebrate their time with the club.

"As well as the summer ball, we have a comedy night in January, a golf day in May at Denbigh Golf Club and a sportsman’s lunch with a great guest speaker.”

The club is posting details of the events being organised on a dedicated Twitter account @denbighcc175 and everyone who is interested in attending any of the events - in particular the summer ball - should e-mail Denbighcricket175@gmail.com to be kept up to date with all of the events and for details of how to get involved.

Anyone with photos of the club or its teams and players over the years is also asked to post images to the Twitter page and send them by email, as it is hoped that with enough images a book could be produced as a memento of the year.

The organisers are also keen to invite any local businesses who might want to support the club with these special events with sponsorship to get in touch.

Craig Stubbs added: “Our sponsors are always really generous and have supported a lot of what we do as a club over the years, these events give them a chance to be part of something special for the club.”

The first event of the year is a comedy night at the Plas Pigot on Friday, January 25.

This will feature three top comedians and an MC from the club circuit.

Tickets are priced at £12 and can be bought from Travelsport in Denbigh.