Cricket club wins rabbit battle

Members of the cricket club in Thurgoland, between Sheffield and Barnsley, found that their pitch was virtually unplayable because of the animals’ activities.

The field, in the village’s Cote Lane, had attracted a large number of rabbits and the burrows they were continually digging had caused serious problems for players.

Both the home team and visiting sides had raised concerns about the safety of their players and the possibility of them getting injured in the deep burrows, which were difficult to detect.

Officials at the club, which has been in existence since 1888, contacted Thurgoland Parish Council, which owns the cricket ground, and members gave permission for a professional pest control company to tackle the problem and rid the field of rabbits and their holes.

A council spokesman said yesterday that the pest control company had now successfully dealt with the problem to the satisfaction of the cricket club and the ground was now clear of burrows.