The club will become known as Lancaster Park-Woolston, with its headquarters at Garrick Park, Woolston's base.

Having a headquarters with clubrooms, ground and practice facilities at the same place were among the factors in the merger for Lancaster Park, said its club captain Trevor Luke.

Lancaster Park, which was formed in 1881, has become divorced from the ground which used to be its home, with initially no senior matches being played there as demands on the Oval increased. Then the south ground became unavailable for lower-grade matches and from the coming season net practice facilities on the back ground were also to be lost with the ground redevelopment.

``We have been aware of the need to do something for a few years now and started talking to Woolston about a year ago,'' Luke said. The combined club will still retain the use of the Ensors Road pitches but its main senior wicket will be Garrick Park.

Lancaster Park's clubrooms in Stevens Street, which it owns, will probably either be sold or leased. Among the attractions for the Woolston club in merging would be the boost in numbers for the chartered club.

A meeting will be held between the respective club captains, Luke, and Ken Taylor (Woolston), plus senior skippers, John Quinn (Park) and Brent Smith (Woolston). ``Competition for places in the senior side should be stiffer but hopefully that will be a good thing and benefit cricket in Christchurch,'' Luke said.

Canterbury Cricket has welcomed the merger as its works toward eight senior teams for the 1999-2000 season.