Pavilion signals new era for club

A cricket club has a new pavilion just over three years after the last one was destroyed in a suspected arson attack.

The new building at Winthorpe Cricket Club, off Holme Lane, cost £50,000 and has a kitchen, lounge area, two changing rooms with showers, and a room for storage and meetings.

It also has an umpires’ changing room, with a toilet for the disabled.

The prefabricated pavilion was provided by Merlin Building Solutions and the majority of the cost was met through insurance, with the club raising £6,000.

The building will be ready for the start of the season in May, although landscaping work, including paving, is still needed.

Members would also like to install a roof, at a cost of a further £8,000, to give the pavilion a more traditional look.

The club’s vice-chairman, Mr Peter Bateson (44) of Pocklington Crescent, Winthorpe, said they would be raising money and applying for grants to help pay for the roof.

Speaking of the new building, Mr Bateson, who plays for the club, said: “This makes the general day-to-day running of the club much easier.

“It’s actually better than what we had before.”

Mr Bateson said he hoped the facility would attract new players.

The secretary, Mr Andy Fereday (47) of Gainsborough Road, also a player, said the pavilion would help to secure the long-term future of the club and they were looking to make it available to the village’s primary school.

He said they appreciated the support from the village, including the Lord Nelson pub, which provided them with teas and the use of a room.

The fire gutted the old wooden pavilion’s clubroom, including bar area and kitchen.

The changing rooms were severely damaged by smoke. Only a few photographs could be salvaged.

For the first season after the fire, Winthorpe was given use of Newark Cricket Club’s facilities.

Then a shipping container was used at the Winthorpe ground for storage and as a changing area.