Cricket club devastated by fire will recover ashes to be turned into special memorial trophy

Olicanian Cricket Club burnt to the ground in the early hours of Sunday.

Members of the club will formally collect some of the ashes from their fire-ravaged pavilion based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, and bear them away to be turned into a new ashes trophy.

They plan to play a memorial match for the Ollies Ashes to open any new pavilion once any rebuild is complete.

The blaze came on the day when OCC product George Hill, who started his cricket career as a seven year old with the club, was England’s 12th man at Headingley and whilst the England U19s all-rounder was ferrying helmets and gloves to Ben Stokes, members at his old club were coming to terms with losing their clubhouse.

Yorkshire batsman Harry Brook also played at OCC for two seasons as a youngster and the club has a junior section with more than 100 members.

The England and Wales Cricket Board and the Yorkshire Cricket Board have been made aware of the club’s plight and local people are rallying round as the task of planning a new pavilion begins.

One local plasterer has offered his services free of charge and there is a post on social media from a local builder saying: “Why don’t all we local builders get together and build them a new pavilion for free?”

In addition to the disruption for the cricket club, the pavilion was also home to All Saint Pre-school Nursery which mean 35 children are currently seeking a new nursery a week today (Tuesday).

The collection of the Ollie’s Ashes will take place at 10.30 at Denton Road, Ilkley.