A RECREATION ground in Mudeford has been slammed for its “extremely poor condition”.
Mudeford Cricket Pitch has become the subject of a Christchurch Town Council meeting following complaints raised about its condition.
The dry and parched state of the ground has been described as “nearly unplayable”, with some cricketers even questioning its safety.
A report to the resources committee said: “The condition of the pitch at Mudeford Recreation Ground is in extremely poor condition, the ground has very little turf and at present the ground is nearly unplayable.
“The pitch has been a source of complaints from visiting teams, including questioning if the game should proceed based on whether it was unsafe to play cricket on.”
The condition of the ground was flagged up in June, when the chairman of the Hampshire Cricket League Ground Committee said it needed “immediate attention”.
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It was discussed in a town council meeting later that month, at which point £45,000 in funding reserves were allocated for pitch improvements.
Then, in August, it was agreed by the resources committee that £1,830 would be spent on conducting a survey and assessment on the state of the ground.
The council expect this to determine the cause of the pitch’s poor condition, whilst identifying ways to improve it.
Councillor Lesley Dedman said the discussions were being held to “benefit the game of cricket” and allow Mudeford Cricket Club to progress.
She said: “The cricket club are really good- we’ve got some really good cricketers. But, they could be in a much better position if we had a decent ground and pavilion for them.
“It’s to benefit the game of cricket which we know is very important to a lot of people.”
The report to the resources committee discusses further the hindrance the ground has become to Mudeford Cricket Club.
It reads: “Mudeford Cricket Club has progressed beyond the capability and standard of the pitch/outfield and cannot now be promoted due to the state of the pitch.”
It is not clear when the survey and assessment is due to take place.
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