Caburn Cricket Club folds

Caburn had hoped to move into the East Sussex League this season along with the other CVL clubs.

Club secretary Arthur Salter, who has helped to prepare the square on the Glynde Estate for a number of years, said: 'It's a sad day, the ground has been played on for 76 years but with Glynde, Firle and Laughton all in the catchment area it was hard to get players in.

'We struggled last season and had to cancel six fixtures. We had hoped to get some new players in for 2007 but when push came to shove they were just not there.

'It's one of the nicest grounds to watch cricket with buzzards and pheasants around and llamas in the next field, but cricket clubs are expensive to run. It's a shame because the square is in the best condition it has even been.

'It costs 600 to 700 to get the grass cut each season, and then there's insurance and machinery repair costs and without the players we could not carry on.'

Caburn CC was the amalgamation of the Brighton Boys' Brigade and Malling CC, who played at the Convent Field, Lewes.

The future of the Caburn ground is now uncertain, but Mr Salter says one of the proposals is to turn it into a Boys' Brigade sports ground '“ they already hold a summer camp there.

Caburn were due to play in division 11 of the ESL and Hellingly have offered to put a 4th XI into the league.

If Hellingly find a suitable ground the 3rd XI will play in division 11 and take over the fixtures previously allocated to Caburn. Hellingly 4th XI would take over the Hellingly 3rd XI fixtures in division 12.