PEOPLE living in Drews Park, Devizes, to the south of the former Roundway Hospital, are searching for a cricket club to take over pitches near their homes.

The Drews Park Village Association last week agreed that the chairman John Stevens should make approaches to local clubs to see if the cricket ground could be brought back into use.

Mr Stevens, a former mayor of Swindon, said: "The residents are very keen to be seen to be putting something into the community.

"We would love the piece of land to be brought into use as a sports facility.

"As it is in a residential area and parking is limited, it would not be appropriate for soccer or rugby. But it has been used as a cricket pitch in the past, by Melksham Cricket Club which, I understand, is now defunct.

"Residents feel there is an opportunity here to encourage sport, and cricket has not had the support it used to. It is not being played at schools as much as it was."

Mr Stevens feels the pitch could be of interest to village sides without their own pitch, or to women's teams or local companies which would like to set up its own cricket eleven.

But it is a long-term project. Even if agreement is reached during the winter, it will take some time for the pitch to be brought up to playing standard.

The association would share the financial responsibility of maintaining the pitch and the cost of buying equipment like mowers and rollers.

Mr Stevens is confident the pitch can be arranged to keep nuisance to residents to the minimum, although a net may have to be put up to prevent the occasional sixes breaking windows.

The association is opposing the closure of the present access to the Roundway site and the opening of a new one to Nursteed Road, but members are anxious not to be seen as incomers trying to impose their will on the community.

Any club interested in using the pitch should contact Mr Stevens on (01380) 739599 or 0585 5281475 (mobile).