CLUB WEEK: Pavilion fires, skid marks and sandy wickets

The Cricketer rounds up some of the more unusual stories of the past seven days from across the local cricket scene...

^{The Solent hosts a similar sandbar-based cricket match to the one at the Camel Estuary}

Pavilion born out of the fire

After Bognor-based Aldwick Cricket Club saw their pavilion burnt down by a fire in January 2017, £10,000 has been raised to rebuild it thanks to the generosity of locals.

Following a major fundraising drive which included support from local cricket clubs and members of the general public, the old building is expected to be replaced by a new clubhouse for the start of 2019.

This news comes with developers Green Manor Building Ltd set to begin the building work at  Felpham Recreation Ground next week.

Club representative, Ian Guppy, told Spirit FM: “After the fire in 2017 the response from the local community was overwhelming, and we are happy to have got to where we are today.

“The club has been struggling to carry on, and with the stark reality that a club that’s been a part of the community for many years would be forced to fold, this new facility will help secure our future at its current location.

 “The new facility will also ensure we can re-introduce our colts set up which will aid the clubs future and help us become a key part of the community again.”

Trains stop play

Cricket fans were apologised to by TransPennine Express for travel chaos that caused them severe trouble getting to a county match.

Yorkshire fan’s travelling to Scarborough to watch their team take on Worcestershire were left were stranded in Malton on the service to Scarborough when their train was stopped before reaching its intended destination.

Due to the fact that the company was unable to obtain any alternative transport for the cricket goers, no alternatives were provided for their onward journey and the fans were left in a whole heap of bother.

Many did make it, in the end, but after much aggravation.

Speaking on a behalf of TransPennine Express, a spokesperson told Minster FM: "On Sunday, we had to terminate one of our Scarborough services at Malton and we are sorry to any customers who were affected by this.

“We then made sure that the majority of our other customers reached Scarborough to watch the cricket match.”

Motorbikes mark their ground

Vandals on motorbikes left tyre and skid marks on the pitch at Rainham Cricket Club in August after off-road bikes were seen driving across the wicket.

The Gillingham-based club subsequently faced a race against time to repair the pitch in time for home fixtures scheduled a few days after the incident occurred.

Club members and groundsman furiously worked away on making sure the pitch was in a playable condition.

Club captain, Jas Hothi, frustrated but not broken, praised the efforts of club members in coming together to repair the ground.

Hothi told Romford Recorder: “It’s obviously really annoying but there’s not much we could have done about it.

“We see them hanging around on their bikes but you never expect this to happen.”

Chicken-gate

After being found with severe burns, believed to be deliberate, at Farsley Cricket Club, a chicken was put to sleep due to the “terrible state” that it was in.

The RSPCA are appealing for information after the chicken was found at the cricket club in Leeds with suspicions raised that the incident was deliberate.

Inspector Mr Hutton, investigating the incident, told BBC: “She was curled up when I arrived and unable to stand. She had severe burns to her whole body and a large wound on her back end.

“I took her straight to the vets but sadly she was suffering to such a degree that they decided she should be put to sleep immediately,” Hutton said.

"I'm keeping an open mind as to what might have happened to her but it's difficult to imagine how else she could have ended up so badly burned unless someone has set her on fire."

Sandy wicket

Cricket was played for the first time along a sandbar in Cornwall in August as a hundred strong crowd watched on at the Camel Estuary at Padstow while the tide was out.

While similar matches are contested on The Solent and the Isles of Scilly, the four-hour cricket contest that was played is reportedly the first ever on the Cornish coast.

The event saw several teams play rushed innings while the tide was out with innings timed around predicted tide changes.

Onlooker Rob Taylor told Cornwall Live: “It was stunning to see bails being set up and actual cricket being played on the sand surrounded by the sea, but the fielding from kayaks and paddleboarders was most entertaining.”

The match, which is set to become a yearly staple, was played in aid of the Fisherman’s Mission charity with all proceeds going to them.