Danbury cricketers hit for six as council bans matches in Essex

Cricketers hit for six as council bans matches

24 minutes ago Share Save Lewis Adams & James Patient BBC News, Essex Share Save

Matt Knight/BBC Rory Carlton is among the cricketers affected by the ban

Village cricketers have been hit for six after a temporary ban on the sport was extended through the summer. The ban was imposed in Danbury, Essex, after a passer-by was hit by a ball as he unloaded his car on 17 May. Parish councillors have been exploring whether a 20m-high (66ft) net could be installed around the cricket pitch at Dawson Memorial Field, but warned it could cost £100,000. Stuart Ayris, captain of Oaklands, who play at the ground in the centre of the village, said the situation was "a massive shame".

The 11th-tier side shared the facility with two other clubs, Tuskers and Danbury, who have been searching for new homes for the summer. A temporary ban on them playing there has since been extended until a meeting in September, Danbury Parish Council said.

Matt Knight/BBC A 20m-high net has been suggested as one way of separating the pitch and the car park

The decision came after the authority commissioned a report looking at the danger of a repeat incident. The report found "it would not be possible for cricket to be played at Danbury for the remainder of this season", the council said. It was agreed in September the viability of installing a large protective net would be explored. The council added it remained committed to supporting sport while ensuring the safety of the public. However, cricket analyst and former county player Simon Hughes said the authority's response had been "pathetic". "To ban cricket from somewhere it's been played for 200 years is excessive and disgraceful – there's got to be another solution," he said.

Matt Knight/BBC Signs have been put up around the cricket pitch relating to the ongoing debate

Early records kept by Danbury Cricket Club found a game had been played at the ground in 1799. Mr Ayris said the incident that led to the ban had been blown out of proportion. "They deemed that to be a high-risk incident, despite the fact no person has been hit in living memory," he claimed. "There's been six cars hit in 10 years, and that's over 50,000 balls bowled." The captain, who is also club secretary and treasurer, said not playing in a league would turn people away from the sport. "We might be left with just playing friendlies every now and then which would be a massive shame," he added.

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