CRICKETERS in North Bradley won't let vandals stop play, after they were horrified to find revellers had lit a bonfire on their carefully tended pitch on Saturday night and left it strewn with rubbish.

"We don't think it was kids, we feel it was adults because they were gin and tonic bottles left behind," said member Jack heard, who discovered the damage with club chairman Stuart Powell on Sunday morning.

"It's not a teenagers drinks. We were a bit disappointed about that, to think it was adults."

Some time on Saturday night the alfresco partygoers walked onto the Memorial Hall fields where the club has its pitch, pulled up warning signs which alert other users to the ropes which surround the pitch's cricket square, the central section used by batsmen and bowlers, piled them up and set them ablaze.

Judging by the rubbish ;left behind, they then lou7nged on the square drinking for some time, and the bonfire has left a scorched area of turf in a vital part of the pitch.

With Wiltshire League games starting next month, the village club, which was revived recently, feel they will have to play around the damage.

"It's pushing it close to have it re-turfed, so we will probably just have to start at one end and let it fix itself," garden designer Mr Heard, 37, the club's grounds expert, said. "We will re-seed it but its a long process. It will cost about £40/£50 to sort - not a lot but money we could have spent on other things."

The club has about 15 adults members, and hopes to promote the sport in the village and eventually run a junior section too. Most members live in the village or, like Mr Heard, have strong links there.

The vandalism has been reported to police: anyone who has information which could help catch the culprits should call 101.

If you would like to play for or support North Bradley Cricket Club, full details of nets, matches and membership can be had by emailing northbradleycricketclub@gmail.com

"It's too close to the start of the season to have it re-turfer