ANGRY members of a Warrington cricket club have been left reeling after vandals attacked their brand new £4,400 wicket covers.
The three covers were safe and secure at Glazebury Cricket Club’s Hurst Lane ground at 10.40pm on Tuesday but were found to have been vandalised shortly after 8am the following morning.
Club chairman Sean Caine said: “Quite simply I was left in a state of shock and feeling sick, to think that we had saved up for so long to invest in something worthwhile for the club, and on the very first night of the covers being parked on the field, someone could do such a callous act.”
He warned that a repeat of such a costly act of vandalism could finish the club off – bringing to an end a proud village club that had been in existence since 1897.
As the wicket covers had been delivered on the same day they were attacked, the club had not had time to insure them.
Mr Caine said all three covers had been attacked and the damage appeared to have been done with a knife.
“This points to someone with a vendetta against the club rather than just a random person passing by. We can only presume that this was done by someone local who had either been out earlier in the day in the area and had seen them.
“A lot of dog walkers use the field, apparently under the impression it is a public space rather than a cricket club.
” We had purposely chosen the colour of the covers to be green as opposed to blue or white, to make them less conspicuous from the road, and so that they wouldn’t be considered an eyesore by local residents.”
The three covers had been chained together for security as the club has suffered vandals attacks before. Sightscreens have been damaged or destroyed and the pavilion has also been attacked.
Police have been informed and the club is hoping that offenders will be tracked down and brought to justice.
Members are looking into various methods of repairing the damage, but even if the covers are made useable they fear they could be vandalised again.
The club’s annual Fun Day at the nearby Chat Moss Hotel on Sunday August 30 may now have to be used to raise money for repairs, rather than for other much-needed ground improvements or investments in the club’s future.
Pictured: The three wicket covers just after they were delivered and (right) a close up of three gaping holes in one of them.
