The dangers of(to) cricket

This is quite alarming when one thinks of the precedent that it could set:-

LYMINGTON SPORTS GROUND - LYMINGTON CC STATEMENT
Lymington Cricket Club was founded in 1807 and has been based at its current location at the Sports Ground off Southampton Road for 175 years where we are tenants of Lymington & Pennington Town Council. The ground was originally used solely by the cricket club.The club plays in the ecb Southern Electric Premier League, has four adult teams, six junior teams and its coaches participate in the Chance to Shine charity scheme to promote the game in local schools within our community.The Sports Ground is shared seasonally by the Cricket Club and Lymington Town Football Club. For decades the council has maintained the Sports Ground with their work being supported by volunteers and members of both clubs to achieve one of the finest sports ground and cricket wickets in southern England.On Wednesday 30th November 2011, councillors from Lymington & Pennington Town Council will be voting to move Lymington Cricket Club from the Sports Ground to Woodside Park. The stated reason for the move is a Health & Safety issue caused by the potential injury risk from cricket balls entering the adjoining Lymington Tennis Club. We estimate that a handful of balls have landed on the tennis courts in the last three years while tennis players are using the courts. In common with virtually every other cricket club in the country, we acknowledge there might be a risk of injury if the boundary adjoins other public space facilities. In 175 years there is no record of anybody being hurt by flying cricket balls. Lymington & Pennington Town Council has proposed that a new facility consisting of two new pitches and a new pavilion will be built solely for Lymington Cricket Club at Woodside Park. The Committee of Lymington Cricket Club are resisting the move for the following reasons:•The risk of injury can be minimised by erecting netting between the cricket pitch and tennis courts during the cricket season.•Woodside Park is also a public space. The potential risk of injury to the public is likely to be the same as at the Sports Ground.•The Woodside Park proposal is in its infancy: there are no detailed plans or costings and no consultation has been held between either Woodside Park users or Lymington Cricket Club.•From first hand knowledge, Lymington Cricket Club know the cost of developing a new facility is likely to be in excess of £1 million. How will this be funded?•New cricket grounds take a long time to mature, and we believe that it will take many years to bring the Woodside pitch up to the same standard as that at the Sports Ground. If we are prevented from playing at the Sports Ground, Lymington Cricket Club will not have a venue for First XI cricket in the Southern Premier League or Second XI cricket in Hampshire County Division 1 and so will be relegated from both leagues.Sports and public facilities adjoin each other all over the country. Lymington Cricket Club is not an exception and should not be treated as one. Ceasing to use the Sports Ground will do our club irreparable damage and yet the simple remedy of erecting netting in the area adjoining the two clubs is being met with opposition.Please support our opposition to the council’s proposal online by writing to Lymington & Pennington Town Council, Town Council Offices, Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 9ZG.