FRIENDS of Odiham & Greywell Cricket Club say they have been overwhelmed by messages of support after fire ripped through their famous old clubhouse at the weekend in a burglary which went wrong.

Police say the fire started by a spark from an angle grinder which thieves used to prize open the club’s safe.

Four fire crews tackled the blaze in the early hours of Saturday but were unable to save the wooden pavilion, while various pieces of cricket memorabilia were also destroyed.

Seasoned visitor Sir Tim Rice led the many messages of support to the club, while around 200 people attended a ‘clubhouse wake’ held in the King Street car park on Sunday.

“It was a very poignant occasion,” said the club’s long-standing president Alan Laycock. “We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the well-wishers and messages of support we have received, and the ‘wake’ on Sunday showed just what this cricket club meant to a lot of people in and around the village.

“Odiham & Greywell Cricket Club will be 250 years old in 2014 and we will survive. We have a committee meeting on Friday where we decide where we go from here, but we are very much pulling together and look forward to many good things in the future.”

Mr Laycock also confirmed that their Thames Valley Cricket League matches will go ahead as planned this summer, albeit with limited facilities, although some Sunday friendly fixtures and the Hampshire v Leicestershire women's match, due to take place on July 22, are likely to be affected.

The club have also made an appeal to any former players or acquaintances who may be in possession of some club memorabilia to come forward.

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