Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales - Sports club left furious after playing fields damaged for a third time this summer

Damage to the Caedrawnant Playing Fields in Mountain Ash

• 26 AUG 2016
• BY SAM TEGELTIJA

A cricket match scheduled for Saturday has been called off after a vehicle was apparently driven over the field

Sports clubs in Mountain Ash have been left furious after their playing fields were damaged overnight – the third time it's happened this summer.

Mountain Ash Cricket Club says it has had to call off a fixture on Saturday following damage to the Caedrawnant Playing Fields, which appears to have been caused by someone driving a vehicle on the field.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan, who is also the ward member for Mountain Ash West, has met with the cricket club and Mountain Ash RFC, whom he says are "rightly furious" about the damage.

It's the third time it's happened this summer

Gareth Evans, second team captain at Mountain Ash Cricket Club, said: "The damage was reported to us by a member of the public who was walking his dog on Friday morning.

A match has been called off

"It's the third time it's happened this year – the first two were around a week apart at the start of the summer, and the council has put bollards and benches in place to stop people doing this.

"We think it's a car, or possibly a quad bike, which has done the damage.

"It's the last week of the cricket season and we were supposed to be playing on there tomorrow – we've had to cancel the match with Blaengarw.

A vehicle appears to have driven on the playing fields

"The rugby club and the football leagues use the fields from September – and they will be angry about this too.

"It's a bit pathetic. I don't know why people bother doing this.

'Time, effort and money to put right'

"It will cost time, effort and money to put right."

Councillor Morgan added: "Residents are rightly furious over the blatant damage caused to the grassed fields at the Cae in Mountain Ash.

A match scheduled for Saturday has been called off

"Despite the council recently installing bollards to block off a section where similar damage was caused only a few months ago, cars have been driven over the grass embankment, bypassing a barrier to get on to the field.

'Further measures' in the coming days

"I have met with representatives from the rugby and cricket clubs and they are rightly infuriated by this damage – further measures will be taken in the coming days to restrict access on to the field.

"I would urge anyone with information about this vandalism to come forward and speak to the council, the police or the rugby club."

see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/mountain-ash-sports-clubs-left-11803874