THE cost of Aussie star Shane Lee resulted in a financial loss for Enfield Cricket and Social Club.

But new pro, Shane's brother Brett, will not cost as much next year and the club are confident of turning the deficit around.

The cricket section lost more than £1,500 in the last financial year compared to a loss of nearly £2,000 the previous year.

Lee cost the club more than £25,500 compared to just over £19,000 for Franklyn Rose in 1996.

But last year's loss was met by a huge profit of nearly £5,000 from the social club.

This year, a massive donation of £15,000 to the cricket section, compared with £8,200 the previous year, resulted in the social section also recording a loss of more than £2,000.

Only an increase in bar takings of around £6,000 prevented further loss.

The club also held around £8,500 in bar stock, double last year's figure at the end of the financial year on October 31 and due to the timing of the brewery's Christmas deliveries.

Treasurer Myra Keniford said: "I suppose you have to pay for success.

"We are going to have to reduce costs and the professional next year is not costing us as much.

"But we always do very well on the social side."

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