AILSA Baxter, licensee of the Coach and Horses at Bolton by Bowland, and her partner Pete Midgley are doing their bit to promote cricket in a village which has been hard hit by foot and mouth disease.

Members of the village cricket team, who use the pub as a watering hole, have been unable to play home matches this year because they would have to cross a farmer's field to get to their pitch.

But cricketers and pub customers alike can strike lucky as the pub is backing a draw to win a cricket bat signed by Lancashire county cricketers, including Mike Atherton. Entrants pay £1 for their name to be entered in one of 100 boxes on a card, with the winner receiving the bat and the proceeds going to Lancashire and England one-day international cricketer Graham Lloyd's benefit fund.

Pete, known as Midge, and Ailsa have been at the Coach and Horses, in the heart of the picture-postcard village, for nearly two years. He said: "We have a cricket team who frequent the pub, but unfortunately cricket has been no-go because of foot and mouth, although they do play away matches.

"Somebody came round one night with the bat and asked if we would take part. We were really busy and asked them to leave it and we would see what we could do."

Now the couple are hoping for a few more cricket enthusiasts to come along and fill in the final squares.