A DISGRUNTLED groundskeeper wants an apology after hoodlums destroyed his cricket pitch by joyriding across it.

Dolgellau Cricket Club’s pitch on the Marian Mawr playing fields was badly damaged in the dead of night earlier this week, causing great anguish for Phil Leeds, the club’s voluntary gardener.

Phil spends approximately 20 hours a week, two or three hours a day, tending to the club’s field and receives no money for his efforts.

“It’s something I started with my grandfather years ago. He’s Mr Cricket in this town and then I sort of inherited the groundskeeper job from there,” he said.

“I’ve put hours and hours into looking after that pitch and now it’s been ruined. This can’t be allowed to happen again.”

Fortunately, the cricket season came to a close last weekend so the trashed pitch should have time to retain its former glory by the time the next ball is bowled or batted.

“We don’t have too many details but there are reports that they were people screaming up and down the road over the flood defences on Sunday night/Monday morning at about 2.30am,” Phil added.

“It sounds like they were going over the flood defence bump.

“I mentioned it to the local police officers but I don’t want anyone to get in trouble. I just want an apology.

“We’ll find out who it was anyway. Dolgellau is like that.

“I just want someone to come forward and say ‘hands up, it was me, I was being stupid and it won’t happen again’.

“We can’t let this happen again.”