Vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage at a cricket club.
Staff at Cumbria’s Egremont Cricket Club said several wickets were broken and doors and windows damaged at its Guilford Park ground on Sunday.
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They said if they can’t find the money it could mean the race has to be canceled or abandoned due to bad weather.
The club estimates the cost of replacing the cover and repairing other damage could be between £6,000 and £7,000. Police are investigating the vandalism.
Third team captain and committee member Simon Young said: “There are a lot of people at the Athletic Club who put in a lot of time to keep [them] go.
“It’s really frustrating when something like this happens.”
Young said the club’s financial situation was not sufficient to cover the cost of repairs and premiums would increase if the club made an insurance claim.
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He said the club had “no real choice” other than to try to find a way to temporarily fix the cover.
“We’re reaching out to the community and business community to see if they can help us.”
The first team compete in Cumbria League One and are expected to play around thirty games across all adult teams during the upcoming season.
“Living in West Cumbria, it can be a beautiful day and then it starts raining and you can throw a quilt over your head and be out and about in no time,” Young said, adding that without a quilt the game “would be in jeopardy”.
Canceling or abandoning a match will mean the team loses points and may be relegated.
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“if [the first team] If you get relegated, you’re stuck in a league where it’s hard to attract any players. “
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