The heavy rainfall on the night of Saturday, October 25, again contributed to a large sewage spill on the A-field at Hosking Park, which forced the cancellation of the Eastern Premier League encounter between United and current league leaders CBC Old Boys, on Sunday, October 26.
The match was a particularly important one for the table-topping Boksburg outfit, as they bid to hold off the challenge from Kempton Park and Benoni Northerns cricket clubs, who are breathing down their neck in the league.
However, due to the spill and the subsequent health concerns, both teams shared the points on Sunday.Des Gamble, facility manager and Premier League team manager, has made a desperate plea to the Ekurhuleni Metro to urgently come to the party, before United Cricket Club goes down the metaphorical drain.
“There is a severe problem at Hosking Park,” he said.
“Part is that there are no suitable manhole covers in place on three manholes.
“Every time we have rain the manholes spill sewage onto our A-field and around the clubhouse.
“This problem has been prevalent for the past four years and has been reported every year, yet no solution has been found.”
Gamble listed other infrastructural concerns that are major concerns for the club: “All the PVC waste pipes at the back wall of the grandstand are sub-standard and are broken or leaking.
“We do not have a suitable lawnmower that can cut the outfield to the standard required of a Premier League club, while the sightscreen on the north side of the A-field was blown over nearly three months ago and no effort has been made to indicate when it will be repaired.
“The two other sightscreens are sub-standard in building terms and it is only a matter of time before they are also damaged.
“The general overview of Hosking Park is good and the day-to-day running could always be improved, but the points listed above are absolutely crucial to the survival of the club,” Gamble said.
“I think it is important to be made aware of the importance of this facility to the community and the sport of cricket in South Africa.”
United Cricket Club hosts approximately 6 000 cricketers plus their families and supporters every year, which equates to approximately 360 games annually.
The highlight of the year is the EJCCA u-15 international festival, at which the club hosts at least five African countries.
This festival is the flagship event of junior cricket in South Africa and Hosking Park has been an integral part of it for the past eight years.
The facility has been improved by United Cricket Club to the value of R300 000, from their own funds over the past seven years, and the club is gaining huge respect in cricketing circles nationwide.
“The sewerage issue is major and has placed a question mark on our reliability as a venue, which could spell the end of United Cricket Club.
“We simply cannot continue down this road,” added Gamble.
“Hosking Park is an absolute jewel of a cricket venue, as we have three full size fields in close proximity to each other and that is ideal for festivals, tournaments and club matches.
“What we have achieved in such a short time, with very limited funds, is nothing short of a miracle.
“If we could get the floodlights on the A and B fields working again and the sewerage issue sorted then this would be the best cricket facility in Ekurhuleni and open to all who want to play in Gauteng.”
The Herald sent a request for comment and a request for urgent action to be taken at Hosking Park to the metro on Tuesday, October 28.
