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A cricket club desperate to get its game on recruited the help of a helicopter to dry out the pitch before a big match.

Wet weather has played havoc with the summer fixture list, with matches abandoned across Greater Manchester over successive weekends.

But Rochdale-based Bamford Fieldhouse Cricket Club went above - literally - and beyond to avoid another wash-out last weekend.

The chopper, which belongs to a club member, was called in and hovered over the outfield before landing, reports the MEN.

(Image: MEN)

It was hoped the helicopter’s whirling blades would dry the field out but sadly, the novel tactic failed and the club’s game with Roe Green on Saturday was called off.

Bamford captain Will Purser, 32, from Rochdale, is managing director of cricket equipment specialists and sports clothing firm Icon Sports UK and said: “The helicopter belongs to one of the club members.

“We had not played for two weeks because of the weather and it was looking like another cancellation.

"It was a case of trying to do whatever we could do.

“We tried drying the ground with a leaf blower but that was a bit of a thankless task.

(Image: MEN)

"I assume the owner of the helicopter must have got a call and he came down.

“It hovered over the outfield then landed but it did not work. We didn’t play.”

Video footage of the chopper arriving was tweeted by the company with the hashtag #getthegameon, used by cricket clubs across the country to lambaste the weather and praise clubs’ efforts to save games.

There was better news for the Greater Manchester League side on Sunday however as they chalked up a convincing win over Whalley Range in the 1st X1 Per-Fit Cup - on a now dried out home pitch.

And Bamford will hope the helicopter isn’t needed on July 31, when the club host Ormskirk in the quarter-finals of the Royal London National Club Championship.