Vandals end Kingsville Baptist's hopes of a place in finals of Victorian Turf Cricket competition
Pitch destroyed on eve of must-win match
Day two of a must-win club match in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association was abandoned in Melbourne on Saturday after vandals dug up the wicket.
Kingsville Baptist Cricket Club, who were 1-46 in pursuit of Sunshine Heights' 186 and chasing a spot in the finals, turned up to their home ground of Skinner Reserve in Sunshine only to see the pitch had been rendered unplayable.
Efforts to relocate the match were unsuccessful, and with a draw the end result, Kingsville missed qualification for the finals.
"The sad thing about it - the covers were there and the covers were pulled off. Someone who did it knew what they were doing," club treasurer Peter Hardeman told Triple M.
"It looked like a shovel or a sharp object had been used.
"They had dug up areas at both ends of the pitch. It reminded me of a ploughed field.
"There was also an oily substance that had been poured all along the pitch."
Words can't describe how the club feels about turning up to a must win game to play finals to this act of vandalism . We...
Posted by Kingsville Baptist Cricket Club on Saturday, February 27, 2016
Elsewhere around club and grade cricket circles across the country, NSW hopeful Ryan Gibson plundered his second-straight double century for Campbelltown-Camden in Sydney's first grade competition.
Gibson, 22, made 204no against Blacktown last weekend and backed it up with 217no - including 29 fours and two sixes - against Gordon on Saturday.
In Western Australian Premier Cricket, Josh Nicholas helped Perth CC defend 150 against Rockingham-Mandurah, his 9-65 the lead act in a first-innings win as Rockingham-Mandurah were bowled out for 111.
In Adelaide Premier Cricket, Woodville CC were brilliantly led by 17-year-old Blake Gutsche, whose unbeaten 214 guided his team to a dramatic one-wicket win chasing Port Adelaide's 6-398 declared.