By Callum Ludwig
The Wandin Cricket Club was frustrated by another vandalism incident which compromised the pitch at the Wandin East Recreation Reserve before Christmas.
A bin fire on Friday 20 December lit on the middle of the pitch at the reserve caused significant damage to the surface.
Bryce Edwards from the Wandin Cricket Club said he was made aware of the incident by one of the club’s members Leigh Curwood, who is also a member of the local fire brigade.
“He informed me and sent me the photos saying that someone had taken a wheelie bin out in the middle of the Wandin East oval and set it alight, which has done some significant damage,” he said.
“It hurts because it’s a brand new pitch which we got from the Rotary Club of Wandin, I think it’s probably been 18 months now and this is the second time now it had been damaged in a period of eight weeks (before Christmas).”
A previous incident damaged the area of the pitch around the stumps at one end.
Mr Edwards said Yarra Ranges Council were looking at repairs straight away for the club, but how long it takes they just don’t know.
“It has a great impact because we have to find another ground for us to play it, we can’t play at our home ground, and we have to either go play out at Warburton or anywhere that there’s a free ground like Wesburn, and obviously it affects our players as well because we have to travel further and then players don’t come back to your club after the game because it’s further away,” he said.
“I believe with all the work they do out of the showground 9Wandin East Recreation Reserve), they have the car shows there, they have the field day there, they have the archery up there, and obviously cricket and football training, it’s highly used now,”
“I think it’s time for us to get some development up there and turn it into a proper cricket and football ground in particular, and hopefully get the facilities upgraded out there, we need more security clearly, whether that’s through cameras or otherwise, but I’d like to see the ground actually developed to cater for what we’re doing up there.”
