Popular Feilding park torn up by skids

The damage was discovered on Sunday morning by one of Feilding Cricket Clubs members. Photo / Blair Rogers

Cricket at Feilding's only club has been called off for at least four weeks after considerable damage was done to the outfield at Kowhai Park.

Club captain Andre Hoggard said the damage was discovered by one of their club members on Sunday morning.

"He spotted something looked a bit wrong and popped over there and saw all the skid marks."

After discussion with the groundsman, the club has decided to call off all cricket at the ground for at least the next four weeks to let the outfield recover.

"There's every chance we won't be able to play at Kowhai on the grass wicket before Christmas time which is quite disappointing," Hoggard said.

Due to the damage, Feilding Cricket Club have had to move their games to Palmerston North in the meantime.

This weekend was set to be the premier side's first home game on grass wickets after delays.

Hoggard said he didn't want to rush the groundsman as they look to rebuild their "idyllic" cricket ground.

"We would rather get it up and running to the standard it was before this all happened."

If the vandals had gone on to the grass wicket block, cricket at Kowhai Park would be over for the entire 2020/2021 season, said Hoggard.

"For a small town we are the only cricket club and we get great support," Hoggard said.

"In what is suppose to be the best time of the year, it's a bit of a bugger to say the least, I could say worse."

Hoggard said they have a committee meeting tonight

and will look to give recommendations to Manawatu District Council to put barriers around the ground.

"It's a public park, you would think you wouldn't need to do that. You want people to enjoy it all the time but the actions of one group can ruin it for the rest."

Unfortunately there are no cameras around Kowhai Park with Hoggard urging anyone who might know anything, to contact them on their Facebook page.

"As annoying and gut wrenching it is, there is only so much you can do about it."