VANDALS DESTROY NEW CRICKET COVERS AT HAMPTON HILL CRICKET CLUB
Mindless vandals have totally destroyed brand new cricket covers just a week after they were delivered to Hampton Hill Cricket Club, it was revealed today.
It’s thought the incident happened between 2-8pm yesterday when the thugs wrecked them by jumping all over them and completely smashing the frameworks.
According to the Club the cricket square covers “cost a considerable amount of money and they have been there less than a week and already been destroyed.”
Shocked Club chair Ian Exworth told Teddington Town: “The covers we had purchased had only been on the park for 8 days!
“They were part of our efforts to continue the improvements in facilities that we offer to our members and other community groups.
“We have been fundraising over the past few years to be able to make such investments, so it’s soul destroying to see such mindless and pointless vandalism.
“Hampton Hill CC is a family focussed, inclusive club that runs on the input and goodwill of volunteers. We have a limited footprint within Bushy Park and so need to make maximum use of the space available to us, hence the covers.
“We have seen major growth over past years to the point that we now run 9 senior sides and offer cricket for boys and girls from u4 upwards, including via our new girls section.
“Our juniors number over 450 kids, with the majority coming from state schools who are largely unable to offer cricketing facilities.
“The damage is thought to have happened some time on late Monday afternoon and has been reported to the police. The covers cost just under £6k and we are looking at how they might be repaired.
“This will again test our resilience, but we will of course begin our season as planned in mid- April and will continue to try to improve our facilities for all our members, younger and older.
“Unfortunately, like other clubs in the park, Hampton Hill CC has been the victim of vandalism previously and most obviously when our clubhouse was burned down in 2010.”
You can find out more about the club @ www.hamptonhillcricket.co.uk if anyone wishes to help fund repairs or support the club more generally.
If anyone saw anything or can provide any useful information please email: lisafullicks@aol.com
