Trojans face a race against time - and the elements - to get their Stoneham Lane cricket outfield fit for play for the start of the Southern Premier League season in early May.
A large part of the outfield between the cricket square and the line of fir trees which separate Trojans’ ground from the King Edward VI School sports pitches has suffered serious damage.
As a money raising exercise, the Trojans Club allowed a large temporary ‘marquee’ to be erected on the outfield to cater for Christmas party functions which had previously been held close by at North Stoneham Park.
But the grass under the ‘marquee’ on the area of cricket outfield normally used in the winter for junior rugby or soccer has been killed off.
Sizeable lorry tyre marks became embedded in the soil when the structures were removed from the site.
Trojans Club chairman Campbell Williams plans to make a formal statement on plans to reinstate the outfield after a committee meeting this week, but confirmed that remedial work had just begun.
Trojans have already had their knuckles rapped by the Southern Premier League, who have issued the club with a formal warning about the condition of the outfield, which has attracted very poor marks from visiting captains and panel umpires during the past two summer seasons.
Sparsholt are due to be the first visitors to Stoneham Lane for a Southern Premier League Division 2 match on May 5.
A large part of the outfield between the cricket square and the line of fir trees which separate Trojans’ ground from the King Edward VI School sports pitches has suffered serious damage.
As a money raising exercise, the Trojans Club allowed a large temporary ‘marquee’ to be erected on the outfield to cater for Christmas party functions which had previously been held close by at North Stoneham Park.
But the grass under the ‘marquee’ on the area of cricket outfield normally used in the winter for junior rugby or soccer has been killed off.
Sizeable lorry tyre marks became embedded in the soil when the structures were removed from the site.
Trojans Club chairman Campbell Williams plans to make a formal statement on plans to reinstate the outfield after a committee meeting this week, but confirmed that remedial work had just begun.
Trojans have already had their knuckles rapped by the Southern Premier League, who have issued the club with a formal warning about the condition of the outfield, which has attracted very poor marks from visiting captains and panel umpires during the past two summer seasons.
Sparsholt are due to be the first visitors to Stoneham Lane for a Southern Premier League Division 2 match on May 5.
