Arson-ravaged Olicanian cricket club ashes to be trophy

The pavilion was razed to the ground by the fire in the early hours of Sunday

The ashes of a cricket club pavilion destroyed in an arson attack are to be made into a memorial trophy.

The pavilion at Olicanian Cricket Club in Ilkley, and an adjoining nursery for 35 children, burnt to the ground on Sunday.

The club hopes a replacement pavilion could be in place in 18 months to two years.

A spokesman said the irony of England's Ashes performance was in contrast to the ashes left by the fire.

'Plunged into cricketing hell'

Mark Dexter, a trustee of the club, said: "It's ironic the real Ashes were taking place on Sunday (at Headingley, 15 miles away) when our pavilion was turned into a pile of ashes.

"We're collecting ashes and have already found some charred bails among the wreckage which seems to have a nice symmetry.

"We'll have a memorial match for 'Ollie's Ashes' with some of the ashes recovered turning into a trophy."

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Charred bails have been recovered from the burned down clubhouse

He said a player from a touring side a couple of years ago had commented how the club's ground and building was his "imagined cricketing heaven".

Mr Dexter said: "But we're a club now on life support with no stumps and no bails, we've been plunged into cricketing hell."

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it believed it had been a "deliberate fire" and West Yorkshire Police is investigating.

Followers of the club were left devastated by the blaze that destroyed the building

The cricket club is in the Airedale and Wharfedale league and has three senior teams and juniors playing from Under-9s.

The club has risen from a "humble lower league club" to its present position on "decades of effort that have gone into the club".

Yorkshire batsman Harry Brook and England under-19 player George Hill both played at the club.

The Olicanian Club ground, before the fire, was once described as "cricketing heaven"