Heartbreak At Hyde

A popular netting facility at Hyde Cricket Club has been left severely damaged by the actions of heartless vandals.

On Saturday night, the mindless perpetrators broke into the ground on Werneth Low and proceeded to tear the nets, damage various pieces of equipment and cause structural damage to the steel frames that support the facility.

The club are in constant communication with the police to assist with their enquiries.

The vandalism has come a major blow to the club, whose first team top the Cheshire County League Premier Division, as the nets are used by a wide range of age groups and are beneficial to the wider community.

Unfortunately, Hyde are the latest club to be targeted by vandals in Tameside.

As Reporter Sport featured in April,  Micklehurst Cricket Club’s pitch covers were senselessly destroyed by local youths and caused more than £1,000 in damages.

As early as last week, a group of thieves attempted to steal a motorbike outside Curzon Ashton’s Tameside Stadium. The club had also been the target of a burglary in March 2021. 

Upon finding the destruction on Sunday morning, Hyde secretary John Buckley was saddened, bemused and struggling to understand the motive behind the behaviour.

Speaking to Reporter Sport, John said: “I came to the ground on Sunday morning to see if it would be fit for a junior match and I was shocked to discover such mindless wreckage against the club’s property.

“We’re a community club and we serve the community. It’s the wider community who will suffer, as the children and adults both use the facility. It’s a centre for cricket excellence and we pride ourselves on having the best facilities in the area. 

“It’s especially distressing given nearly all the work done at the club is voluntary, so it’s a real smack in the face for all the hard work that our volunteers, members and players put in.

“There’s absolutely no motive to what the perpetrators have done - I seriously question what is wrong with the people who’ve done it.”   

In a bid to rectify the situation and to maintain the club’s standard of service, the netting facility was quickly tidied and ready to be used soon after.

As disheartening as the vandalism proved to be for everyone concerned, John says the club is fully focused on the positives and believes the future’s bright at Werneth Low. 

The first team, captained by Danny Cranmer, are in a great position to win the Premier Division title and are also through to the T20 finals day.

Reflecting on the season so far, John said: “We’ve got a significant number of the best young cricketers at county level for Cheshire and Lancashire. All the junior teams are full to the brim with county quality boys and girls.

“There are still challenges that come along the way, but the junior section is thriving and for this to happen in the midst of what we’re trying to achieve and what we offer to the community is just devastating in many ways.”

Hyde’s first team return to league action this weekend with a trip to Widnes, whilst the second team host Cheadle at Werneth Low.