Cockermouth Cricket Club is in a desperate race against time to be up and running for the start of the North Lancs Cumbria League season.

The November floods devastated the town – and also the cricket club at Sandair – with an estimated £100,000 worth of damage to equipment to the ground, infrastructure and equipment.

The club had asked to play their games way from home until the end of May but they have been given a first team fixture for the opening week-end in the month.

An England Cricket Board official was due at the ground today but his visit had to be postponed because of the weather conditions around the country which affected travelling.

George Todhunter, chairman of the club’s ground committee told Getnoticedonline.co.uk: “He was coming to advise on relaying the turf and the square which was completely swamped by silt, stones and boulders swept onto Sandair by the floods.

“Hopefully that visit will take place very soon so that we can find out the best way to tackle our problems.

“Our artificial wickets have been torn-up; our practice wickets and nets damaged and essential cutting equipment ruined.

“We had a problem five years ago but nothing like this. At the time we put in some flood gates but only to a height of 1.2 metres and we would have needed twice that to try and cope with this last flooding.”

The club has applied to the Cumbria Flood Recover Relief Fund for financial assistance while the Rotary Club of Cockermouth have come-up this week 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.

It’s been all hands to the pump at Sandair as the outfield, especially on the pavilion side of the ground, was badly damaged by heavy deposits of silt.

In the pavilion, the floorboards were lifted and surfaces have been taking time to dry out.

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