Thousands of pounds worth of damage has been caused by arsonists at a cricket club.

Crompark Cricket Club, Menston, believes around £6,000 of equipment has been ruined in a blaze.

The Dales Council team had operated out of a pavilion and equipment hut alongside its pitch for 20 years without incident prior to Wedne-sday night’s arson attack.

Damaged was a new scarifier – used to blast moss from the pitch, three lawnmowers, pitch covers, germination sheets, shovels, picks and pitch marking equipment. The equipment was uninsured.

A team of firefighters from Rawdon spent 30 minutes dousing the fire after being summoned to the scene at 5.26pm when nearby residents raised the alarm.

David Robinson, the club’s first team captain, said: “We’re disgusted and disappointed by what’s happened.

“As well as the equipment, there’s the cost of the damage to the building. It might have to be pulled down. We’re confident we can get games played this weekend.

“We have put so much time and effort into keeping an old, derelict building going just to play cricket and we spent years accumulating the equipment.”

  • Read the full story in Saturday's T&A