Cricket: Doughnuts leave bad taste as festival looms

Wanganui cricket development officer Dilan Raj surveys some of the damage to the Victoria Park No4 field yesterday morning. Photo/Stuart Munro

Wanganui cricket development officer Dilan Raj is furious because preparations for the start of the Festival of Cricket next week have been disrupted after the No4 field at Victoria Park was torn up by a car on Saturday evening.

Raj was alerted yesterday morning by people out walking their dog that No4 was covered in tyre marks and gouges.

"They've gone through the council chain and done doughnuts around the outfield, then taken out the sprinkler on the field."

The pitch and dry grass was being watered to try to give it more of a green tinge, while youth players had volunteered their time to remove any weeds, Raj said.

Yesterday he was trying to source a heavy roller to smooth out the damage but said it would take three days to finish that, then another two weeks before the wicket could be properly brought back up to scratch.

The festival begins on January 6 with the national girls tournament.

"We've got teams coming from Otago, Canterbury, Auckland," said Raj, shaking his head.

Council staff had replaced the broken chain yesterday, and Raj said neighbours nearby had not heard the car.

Anyone with information on what happened can contact Wanganui police and cite case number 131229/3572.

"They've actually gone into the sprinkler so somewhere there will be a car with damage on it," Raj said.