10.05.24
Howzat! One of Cardiff's leading amateur cricket clubs is celebrating with new community facilities after refusing to be stumped by vandals and racist graffiti.

Llandaff Cricket Club, based at Llandaff Fields, saw much of its equipment destroyed and its pavilion daubed with far-right slogans in an attack on the premises at the end of the 2022 season.

But the club, thanks to a pro-active and determined approach, set up a crowd-funding campaign which has helped replace the lost equipment, while Cardiff Council repaired and decorated the pavilion to remove the offending graffiti, bring it back into use for this season.

The support of Cardiff Council's Sport Development department, together with the England and Wales Cricket Board, Street Games Wales and Sport Wales, has helped put the club back on the front foot and continue to develop as one of the largest providers of junior cricket in Wales.

Llandaff CC secretary Adnan Haddadi said: "When the pavilion we used at Llandaff Fields was vandalised in October 2022 we had to throw all our equipment away and crowd-funded the cost of replacing it, around £6,000. It was an amazing response and we're so grateful to everyone who was able to help.

"In addition to the equipment, we've been working with the Council to renew the lease on land at Llandaff Fields and we now have superb new nets facilities on two of the old tennis courts and an area of land where we can train and where we hope to build a new pavilion in a couple of years."

To mark what the club is calling a 'critical step' on its journey of growth and recovery, it is unveiling its new facilities on Friday, May 10 with an open training session attended by professionals from Glamorgan along with Council representatives, including the leader Cllr Huw Thomas and Cllr Jennifer Burke, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks, Events and Venues.

"We've been delighted to help the club after the awful events of 2022," said Cllr Burke. "Llandaff Cricket Club has long been a beacon of diversity in Cardiff and is bringing cricket to the wider community through its juniors, girls and women's teams. We hope that with the new 25-year lease in place, the club now has a solid platform to grow and introduce even more people to the sport."

Club chairman Sohail Rauf said: "The club's recovery proves what can be achieved when communities come together and work in partnership with local representatives and political leaders. Ultimately, what this means is greater access to safe, outdoor team sports for children in central Cardiff regardless of their circumstances. That can only be a good thing for our community."