UPDATE: A MELBOURNE cricket association has offered a $5000 reward for information leading to vandals who ruined a pitch and dashed a club’s finals hopes.

Sitting pretty at 1-46 in its chase of Sunshine Heights’ 186, a win would have secured Kingsville Baptist Church Cricket Club a spot in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association’s West A1 finals.

But players and officials were left distraught when they turned up to their home ground at Skinner Reserve in Braybrook to find the pitch had been dug up.

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VTCA president Steve McNamara wrote on Facebook that the league would offer a $5000 reward for information.

“The association this morning has been working in conjunction with Maribyrnong Council, Victoria Police, and with assistance from both Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia, all of whom are strongly committed to finding and ultimately bring to justice the perpetrators concerned,” McNamara wrote in the league’s public Facebook group.

“Hence, the VTCA has posted a $5000 reward leading to any information which will result in prosecution to any person or persons concerned.

“Severe ramifications will result if evidence provided implicates another VTCA affiliated club with involvement or prior knowledge of this act occurring.

“I am extremely confident their are people out there with knowledge of what occurred and know the people responsible.

“This is not the sort of practice we are accustomed to in the great game of cricket and I trust the vast majority of people reading this would be as appalled as we all are with the matter at hand.

media_camera A club official said it was clear the vandals knew what they were doing when they ruined the pitch. Picture: Facebook

“I urge you in the strongest of terms, please if you have any information no matter how small, just come forward.

“This would be a win for the cricket fraternity as a whole if we can catch those people responsible.”

The vandalism brings back memories of the pitch destruction at Headingly in 1975. It was the final day of the Test between Australia and England, the Aussies needing 225 to win with seven wickets in hand.

During the night, vandals had dug holes in the pitch near the popping crease, and poured a gallon or more of oil in the region where a good length ball would have landed, in protest at the conviction of a taxi driver for armed robbery.

Earlier, the Kingsville Baptist officials wrote on the club’s Facebook page: “Words can’t describe how the club feels about turning up to a must win game to play finals to this act of vandalism.”

“We are denied the chance to play finals, I know we all want to win and play finals but not at all costs.

“I guess cricket isn’t a gentleman’s game anymore.

“Please share this around.”

The post has been shared nearly 1500 times, with more than 850 comments from people involved with cricket leagues all over Australia.

Cranbourne Cricket Club curator Chris Jarrett was savage in his assessment of the perpetrators: “Someone out there’s feeling pretty happy with themselves. But they’re just maggots and should be run out of the game by their club and association because someone else knows who they are.”

Words can't describe how the club feels about turning up to a must win game to play finals to this act of vandalism . We... Posted by Kingsville Baptist Cricket Club on Saturday, February 27, 2016

Kingsville Baptist treasurer Peter Hardeman said the result of the two day match hinged on where the club would finish up on the ladder.

He said a cover was placed over the turf at Skinner Reserve on Friday but the following morning the players arrived to find the pitch destroyed.

“The turf wicket was vandalised, it was virtually dug up from one end to the other and had oil poured down the middle of it,” he said.

“We tried to have the game transferred to another venue but that wasn’t possible.”

He said the game was declared a draw resulting in the club missing out on the final, due to start this weekend, by two points.

“We were in a great position we only needed another 140 runs to win,” he said.

“Plus you get bonus points for every run you make so we would have had more than enough points to make the final four.

“Last year we were in West B division and won the premiership and we were promoted to A division and we were on the cusp of playing in the finals this season.”

He said the players were devastated given their entire season was now down the drain.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide said the state’s overarching body would support the VTCA and authorities in seeking to identify the culprits.

“I also believe there may be some CCTV facilities around the ground and hope the authorities, between the council and police, can narrow in and bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.”

He said he believed the $5000 reward may be a first.

“I’m not sure if that’s ever been done before, I certainly haven’t heard of that before,” Dodemaide said.

“We certainly support the move to try and identify who the culprits are and obviously, if possible, prevent this from happening again.

He said stories like this left a sour taste in the mouths of cricket supporters.

“It’s easy to speculate, but it is so disappointing,” he said.

“We’ve had such a great season of cricket, the Big Bash League, has brought so many people to the game and these sorts of stories leave a sour taste.

He said any penalties handed down to the perpetrators would apply across all affiliate leagues.

If you have information, phone police on 9313 3333 or the VTCA on 0415 674 239.