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A sharp-eyed local was responsible for the safe return of the sight screen that was stolen from Victor Eaves Park in Ōrewa early this month.
The club had borrowed the screen from the North Shore Cricket Club and the theft left members facing a bill of around $10,000 to replace it.
Sight screens create contrast between the ball and screen to help the batter see the bowler release the ball, and track the ball in order to select an appropriate shot.
It is a vital piece of kit for any game, especially at the premier level the club is competing in.
Club manager Gair McSkimming says players were angry and upset about the removal of the screen, which they noticed was missing on January 9, with only the base remaining. He says screens have not been a target of theft before, at any Auckland clubs.
The missing part consisted of large galvanised steel poles, forming a rectangular frame – and Hibiscus Matters put a post on Facebook asking if anyone had seen the poles.
Kensington Park resident Marion Ellis says when she read the post, she immediately made the connection with something she had seen recently in the park.
She was walking her dog in Victor Eaves Park when she saw a steel tube lying in an area of bush and tall grass.
“I thought I’d shift it, but it was way too big and heavy,” she says. “After that I didn’t give it any thought until I saw the information about the cricket club’s screen.
Marion contacted Gair , and described what she had seen and, following her directions, he recovered all four poles, which had been carefully concealed in the bush.
They are big poles, which Gair says would have taken four people to move.
“Marion’s help restored my faith in the community,” he says. “It shows what can be done about crime when the community is vigilant and helps each other out.”
I am a sports person myself and I’m so thrilled for them and glad I could help,” Marion says.
