Toft Cricket Club is a village club located on the outskirts of Knutsford, Cheshire and marks its centenary in 2028.
To mark the club’s ambition for its next hundred years and help secure the necessary funding to build a new pavilion, we have an equally ambitious project – to build the World’s BIGGEST WICKETS! And we have succeeded as you can see in the above piece, broadcast on BBC NorthWest Tonight on1 May, the day the installation took place.
But why did we decide to take on this challenge?
We'll let two of our super Toft junior players explain why:
Yes, we need your help to “raise our bat” for a Century (£100k) to complete our ambitious project to replace our ageing and crumbling pavilion in time for our centenary in 2028. This building is over 80 years old. As well as hosting our playing sides and visiting teams, the pavilion is an important resource to the local community, hosting a number of other local groups on a regular basis and acting as a venue for a range of social occasions such as birthday parties, anniversaries and wakes.
Sadly, having done sterling service over the years it is no longer fit for purpose and must be replaced.
The new pavilion (pictured below) will set us up for our next hundred years, providing essential facilities which will allow us to properly serve our growing girls' and womens' sections, as well as a first class welcoming environment for our players and visiting teams and for our wide range of community-based user groups.
Please help us reach our goal and celebrate our World’s BIGGEST WICKETS by making a donation and by spreading the word. All contributions will be gratefully received. Thank you!
More about our club:
With over 400 members, our club is ClubMark accredited and runs 5 senior sides, 10 junior sides, and has a growing girls’ and women’s section, as well as an over 40’s side and a charity side, Toft Taverners, who raise funds every year for the local community. We are a member of the Cheshire County Cricket league structure as an ECB affiliated club.
We have an illustrious playing history which includes winning the National Village Champions Competition final at Lords in 1989 and reaching the final of the national Vitality Club Twenty20 Championship in 2020.
Building the World’s Biggest Wickets:
Renowned local chainsaw wood sculptor, Andy Burgess, has reached record-breaking new heights in his bid to break the world record for the world’s BIGGEST WICKETS.
Andy is famous for his monumental wood sculptures - but this jaw-dropping installation is set to be a true showstopper in his portfolio.
Standing at an eye-catching 8.5m tall, the towering creation is Andy’s most ambitious project to date.
Andy, with help from his three trusted tree experts, has carved each stump from colossal four-tonne Douglas Fir logs, sourced from a pre-felled site in Dorset - a project that’s taken several weeks to complete. Joined by volunteers, tradespeople and local club members, it’s a true community effort to bring the vision to life.
Here are some images of the stumps taking shape:
and here is footage of Andy actually sculpting the stumps and bails:
(The current record that Toft Cricket Club has set out to beat stood at 8 metres, held by the giant stumps in Cootamundra, New South Wales - part of Australia’s famous “Big Things” attractions.)
The wicket will remain on display throughout the summer before we ceremonially burn the bails at the Local Scouts Bonfire Night in November, creating the ‘world’s biggest ashes’ in a playful tribute to the sport’s greatest rivalry, The Ashes, which starts in Perth, Australia on November 21st.
What can you do?
Please support us by making a donation, however large or small, and by telling your friends and family. Thank you!!