The preservation of adult cricket at a Dorset club has taken a step forward months on from national support for a crowd-funding campaign.

Colehill Sports and Social Club has confirmed it is aiming to add new safety netting around the ground in Wimborne Road before the end of the month.

Fears about the danger to the public from flying balls had led to a decision to suspend adult cricket at the club – until a campaign stepped in to help pay for the extra netting.

The club will now add netting to the north boundary and upgrade existing netting with an extension to the west boundary.

Each year there had been an increasing number of balls being hit beyond the boundaries, potentially putting passers-by and property at risk, the club said.

The move to install additional netting comes after plans were approved by Dorset Council last year.

A club statement: “With the likelihood of raising the funds to protect the whole ground deemed to be very slim the decision was taken to suspend adult cricket indefinitely. As a result of this the cricket section of the club went to the Press to air their grievances and started an online petition and crowdfunding campaign. The support has been amazing from the local and wider community and the funds to carry out the work have been raised.

It added: "Ideally we would very much like to get all the work done before the start of the season which begins on Saturday, April 29.”

To reduce the risk the club will install removable net screens at the start of the season, removing them for the winter months.

It said the design and build will be similar to the poles and netting to the removable screen that the neighbour on the western boundary paid for several years ago – which will now be extended by an additional five poles on the south end and one pole at the north end.

The other additional protection will come from an eight-metre high removable net along the north of the site, parallel to Boundary Drive.

It will be placed a minimum of 10 metres away from the nearest oak tree and 10 metres from the neighbouring property to the west.

Colehill Cricket Club has announced plans for a grand net unveiling match involving a team of current players and a team of former players. It is due to take place from 6pm on Friday, May 5.