Cricket club left devastated after SEVENTH vandal attack causes £15k damage

A cricket club has been forced to withdraw from its community leagues after vandals destroyed part of the pitch for the seventh time.

Westcroft Cricket Club in Milton Keynes has been targeted by mindless vandals who have bored holes across two of its playing fields.

The club said the damage could cost about £15,000 to repair, with players left heartbroken after the latest attack.

The club has now confirmed it will be withdrawing from four county leagues

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Chief patron Dr Azhar Zafar said: "I am speechless, in the UK, that this has happened seven times. It is quite demoralising on the 60 players, we can’t play cricket any more. Mentally and socially, it is quite demoralising.

"We cannot say whether these incidents stem from anti-social behaviour, targeted hostility towards the club, or some other motivation. It would be wrong to speculate without evidence."

The incident took place overnight on June 11 intruders raided the ground with searchlights to, the club believes, intentionally blind its newly installed £3,000 AI CCTV system.

Officials at the club said this: "Showed they knew what they were doing."

The club, which was first founded in 2008, had been preparing for promotion to Division 2 in the Northamptonshire Cricket League, as well as bringing in junior and female teams.

Before the beginning of the 2026 season, the club had invested about £10,000 into preparing and improving the square.

It estimated it had lost between £15,000 and £20,000 overall in security investments and continuous repairs.

Officials said the latest damage was more substantial than previous attacks and is expected to cost about £15,000.

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In a post on Facebook, the club said: "Cricket is not just a game; it is a source of discipline, friendship, respect, and community cohesion.

"It is tragic that someone’s negative mindset and destructive actions have washed away the happiness of so many people."

Directly addressing the vandals, the club added: "You did not just damage a pitch; you stripped away the favorite sport, the joy, the friendships, and the healthy activities of over 80 children, youths, and adult players.

"Congratulations on impacting an entire cricketing community. Congratulations on undermining the hard work of volunteers who dedicate their time, money, and energy to promote the sport.

"Congratulations on disappointing the parents who wanted to see their children engaged in positive activities."

More to follow...

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