If summer was a sport, it would be cricket. Long, warm afternoons, the smell of mown grass and the sound of leather against willow on the village green. It's an idyllic picture of British tradition, passed through generations of amateur cricketers in the rolling, green countryside of Oxfordshire.

But while the graceful arc of the bowled ball and the slow clap of spectators may be glorious, there is trouble in this paradise, reports Anna Melville-James.

Small clubs across the country have been fighting to maintain numbers for many years now, in the face of declining support for cricket from the education system, and disillusionment at the England team's patchy performances. Those hardest hit are the village teams, playing for the sheer enjoyment of it all, yet scouring their catchment area each week to drum up enough players to make up a team.

It's something Uffington Cricket Club knows all about. A group of die-hard cricket lovers they find themselves routinely hunting not only for players, but umpires as well.

The club plays in the Oxfordshire Cricket Association league (OCA), where each club is required to provide one umpire per team to be put into a pool to referee other games in the league. The idea is to provide a steady stream of impartial umpires to last the season. It's a good idea. At least in theory, for as Uffington, fielding two teams from a small village of only about 1000 people, has found, the reality is distinct nightmare at the wicket.

During the season, 22 people are required to make up the first and second teams every weekend, something that takes all the time and enthusiasm of the core members of the small club.

Finding two more people willing to administrate is proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back according to treasurer, Martin Taylor and club secretary, John Boaler.

All OCA teams know that without provision of an umpire there may be consequences for their league placings. Besides peaceable cricketers do not want to get into trouble with the OCA, they merely want to work out how to fill their obligations and play overs in the sunshine. "The criticism is not of the league, because everyone appreciates it's a good rule," says Martin Taylor. "The problem is how to get the people of Oxford and its surroundings to come up and do some umpiring."

Martin Taylor has the look of a man waiting patiently for the ball to fall, but unfortunately he's been waiting since 1995, when he became treasurer of the UCC.

The club itself records its first game over 200 years ago, and has undergone various reformations ever since. It is and always has been powered by raw enthusiasm, and is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of its latest incarnation. As John Boaler explains with a smile: "A group of people were standing in the pub one day in 1975 and said "why don't we have a game of cricket?"

Not that this relaxed, sociable nature should in any way detract from the serious business of the game. Uffington CC may be small, but it has a respectable history in village cricket.

A previous winner of the OCA second division in 1995, and overall winner of the Oxford Champions Indoor competition in 1994 it is currently situated in division three of eight OCA divisions. Its placing is now low to middle table, a result in part, say John and Martin, of struggling through the practical difficulties of last season. So why is manpower so hard to find? One of the reasons is that the club, like clubs all over Britain, just can't maintain a steady stream of players and umpires though its ranks.

While a club may have a core section, younger players may play for a few years, and then relocate to university or elsewhere, leaving a gap in the ranks with no one to fill it. The decline of investment in cricket in many state schools also leaves a enthusiasm void among those who should be inheriting the cricket bug.

In terms of Uffington's umpire and player drought, shortages are made worse by having to take a person out of each team in emergencies to stand in as umpire. "It means you're playing with reduced numbers and not giving the opposition as much competition as they'd like. The knock-on effect is that people do it as a chore, because it has to be done, but lose enthusiasm for both playing and umpiring," says Martin.

Axing the second team to free up potential umpires is not an option either if Uffington wants to give a playing chance to everyone.

The second team, says John, is vital as a development pool and for providing match practice for those not quite at the standard of the first team. Getting rid of it would be a short-term, and short-sighted solution. It's a double bind and Uffington's situation is not unusual. In the OCA alone there are currently at least fifteen clubs in similar positions. Shortages, in particular of umpires, is also a problem, on a lesser scale, for clubs in the higher county leagues, including the Cherwell.

According to Mick Warren, secretary of the Oxfordshire Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (OCUSA), umpire membership has gone up from 170 to 215 over the past few years, yet the demand for umpires has also gone up, far outstripping supply.

So while the passion of cricket may be kissing the greens of the county, the most important man on the pitch remains elusive. Or woman there is no gender bar. The OCUSA runs flexible five-week umpiring courses throughout Oxfordshire which everyone is encouraged to attend covering rules, safety, code of conduct and everything an aspiring umpire will need to know from start to end of play.

"If we see a demand for it somewhere, we jump in there with a course!" says Mick enthusiastically.

Equally enthusiastic are the Uffington CC members, who are happy to send any prospective umpires for the club to be trained.

Its ideal candidates would be free for league games on Saturday afternoons over the summer season, which runs from Saturday for the OCA to September. The club is also willing to pay travelling expenses for league games and a nominal fee to show its appreciation. The only other necessary attributes, other than enthusiasm are "good eyesight, patience, integrity and honesty."

In return, Martin insists an umpire can expect to "get out and see some of the beautiful parts of Oxfordsjire, playing a game we all love."

He adds: "Village cricket is not at professional status. It's about enthusiasts getting together on a Saturday afternoon to play a game of cricket."

John adds: "We're a bunch of people who play cricket seriously, but with a sense of fun. It's brilliant mental relief from work and a relaxing way of getting rid of the weeks stresses." Stresses can also be relieved at the social events run by the club, which include an annual end of season dinner, and friendly cricket games on Sundays.

Umpires will also be provided with the customary white coat the rest of the cricketing wardrobe is fairly flexible for games, although white shoes and black trousers are traditional.

"That's more Dickie Bird's style!" laughs Martin, "Although if he wanted to volunteer we'd be more than happy to have him!"

For further details on umpiring for Uffington Cricket Club, contact Captain Kevin Smart on 01793 764933.

Further details on umpiring courses can be obtained from Mick Warren on 01993 868694 or 0771 3012642.

A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

According to Rupert Evans, Cricket Development Officer for Oxfordshire, one of the key moves to improve the lot of British cricket is to link schools in with local clubs.

Forging relationships between the two would enable grass roots enthusiasm to flow, with clubs contributing to after school coaching and providing a pathway for young cricketers to play club cricket.

A constant stream of young talent through school, local, county and perhaps even national levels is vital to provide a cricket infrastructure in Britain.

The idea of school-club links is based on successful models of other countries, such as Australia, well known for nuturing and encouraging their talent from an early age. As one of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed development officers for the minor counties, Rupert Evans has been working hard establish a similar model in Oxfordshire. The results have been encouraging and many links are already well established, he says. He acknowledges that it will take time to implement the project fully, and that it is stronger in some parts of Oxfordshire than in others. However, he mentions Lord Williams School, which has strong links with Thame Cricket Club, as one of the most successful examples so far.

"All clubs will be encouraged to form partnerships with their closest primary or secondary school and to develop cricket at the grass roots level," he says, "Everybody should have the opportunity to play cricket and we hope to create a solid base for that."