Members of the Sarnia Cricket Club are grappling with the aftermath of an act of vandalism to a storage shed over the weekend that destroyed more than just their equipment.
“All of the history of what we had — it’s all pretty much broken,” said Thiru Kannan, president of the club, which uses a storage shed at its Bright’s Grove location next to Mike Weir Park. Over the weekend, the shed was targeted — two consecutive nights — leaving a path of destruction that included stolen equipment, and smashed trophies and awards that highlighted the club’s rich history.
“Equipment is one thing,” Kannan said. “They pretty much smashed all the old trophies from the 70s and 80s; broken completely and thrown all over the place.
“That was the worst part.”
Kannan said the break-in took place sometime overnight Sunday, and again Monday.
Members arrived at the pitch to see the shed had been forced open, with equipment, items, and trophies smashed, stolen, and strewn about the property.
“It was all over the place,” Kannan said, noting that broken trophy pieces were found on the Bright’s Grove Public School property and outside the park’s washroom facilities.
“They emptied the fire extinguisher in the picnic area outside the storage shed; it was a big mess,” he added.
Kannan said the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) and City of Sarnia were called, and the locks on the shed were changed Tuesday.
Police told The Journal they are aware of the incident, but the report has not yet been entered in their system.
The 50 to 60-membership has grown in popularity in recent years, especially among newcomers and international students at Lambton College.
They joined the United Friendly Cricket League in 2014, and won championship titles in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Kannan says he’s hoping someone who might know something will come forward.
“We are all very upset,” he said, pointing to about $2,400 in damage.
“Equipment is one thing that we can claim through insurance. But some of it cannot be replaced.
“That’s the sad part.”