By Tanya Steele
The Ferntree Gully Cricket and Football Netball Club was hit by a bizarre theft, discovering an expensive and heavy piece of equipment was missing from their home grounds.
A cricket pitch cover, weighing an approximate two tonnes, was stolen from the clubs leaving them baffled.
“That’s the thing we can’t get our head around – you can’t just throw it all in your car and take off,” Ferntree Gully Cricket Club president Lee Thompson said.
Knox Police are currently investigating the matter and said the missing winter cricket pitch cover is estimated to be worth more than $5000. The cover is believed to have been stolen from the sporting reserve on Brenock Park Drive between 19 February and 22 February.
Mr Thompson said the act was disappointing and is asking the public for assistance locating the missing cover.
“The people that did this are not obviously not very community minded,” he said.
“The covers are valuable bits of equipment and weigh about two tonnes.”
Victoria Police said in a statement that “Investigators have been told the cover, which is made of artificial grass and used over winter, is very heavy and would require a crane or hydraulic rolling machine to remove it.”
The pitch cover is used by both clubs to go over the top of existing astroturf cricket pitches to protect the wicket for the next season and for when footballers use the grounds to have a softer surface to play on.
The alleged crime comes after Mr Thompson said the club suffered a break in in October last year when people stole alcohol and food from their venue.
Mr Thompson said the recent act would probably have taken some “level of organisation and professionalism.”
“That’s the thing we can’t get our head around, it was quite bizarre and disappointing,” he said.
The club is hoping to get to the bottom of the matter and Mr Thompson said they will wait and see what develops over the next few days.
“You never know, somebody in the community might get talking and maybe someone saw something,” he said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
