High and unpredictable gusting winds resulted in one of Keswick Cricket Club’s two sight screens being blown into the River Greta on Saturday afternoon – 15 minutes before the 1st XI’s home game against Dalton was due to start.
The metal sightscreens are fitted with vertical plastic slats that, in high winds, can cause the screens, on wheels, to move like a sail boat. In strong winds the club removes alternate slats to allow the wind to blow through and prevent the screens from movement.
But on Saturday the screen, with too many slats still in place, rolled into the river as players and others looked on helplessly, presenting a major problem for the club as it was far too heavy to be removed from the Greta manually.
And Environment Agency laws require a special licence for anyone wishing to take machinery into the river to complete work. Fortunately for Keswick CC, local plant hire expert “Elmo” Wilson and his nephew John Wilson, of Wilson Plant Hire, came to the rescue following a call from groundsman Keith Richardson. They arrived early on
Tuesday with a JCB and lifted the metal frame out of the river while working from the top of the riverbank, adjacent to the footpath.
It is the second time Wilson Plant Hire has come to the aid of the club. It did so following Storm Desmond in 2016 when they removed tons of silt and other debris from the all-important cricket square before moving onto the outfield.
“It was fantastic of Elmo and his team to come to our help so promptly yet again,” said KCC groundsman Keith Richardson. “The sightscreen was relatively undamaged in the accident, and we are now putting in place a plan to ensure that this cannot happen again, not least because we also want to ensure the safety of park users.”
“Changing weather patterns are creating some unusual circumstances and challenges for the club but we will respond to those. Unfortunately, after the current dry, cold and, at times, windy spell we fully anticipate that it may rain for just as long later this summer. Although hopefully not on match days.
“I certainly did not think for one moment that I would have to water the cricket square in April as was the case earlier this week.”
In an added twist to the story, the tremendous work of Fitz Park staff under manager Christine Fawcett was scheduled to be inspected on Thursday. And Christine was understandably concerned that a sight screen in the river, the cricketing equivalent of a shopping trolley, would not present the park’s best look.
