Cockermouth cricket club face a season of playing matches away from home.

Their Sandair ground will have to be dug-up and re[paired following the November floods which left the ground covered in rocks, stones and silt from the river.

An ECB inspection and assessment has put the repair costs at £84,000 and the club is currently organising several fund-raising exercises.

Chairman George Todhunter says that tenders have been invited for the work to be carried out and he hopes to be in a position to make a full club statement next week.

“We have already started replacing the practice wicket but there’s a lot of work to be carried out on the main square and pitch itself. It will mean that we will be unable to hold any home matches in 2010,” he told Getnoticedonline.co.uk

Cockermouth have informed the North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League of their problems and have intimated that they will try and find alternative grounds for home matches.

“We have had talks with the Egremont club as their second team play on Sundays and we are also looking at the possibility of playing at St. Bees School,” said Todhunter.

The club also has second and third teams who play in the Eden Valley League, as well as several age-group junior sides.

“We are exploring the possibility of taking their games to Dovenby where the old cricket pitch is still intact. We might have to put down an artificial strip down for the season but it’s something we are looking at,” said the chairman.

The club has applied to the Cumbria Flood Recover Relief Fund for financial assistance while the Rotary Club of Cockermouth have already come-up with a cheque for £10,000.
The England and Wales Cricket Board have said they will help the club with an artificial wicket and the club is also exploring other avenues for financial aid.

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