Play was halted for 45 minutes at Stockport Cricket Club on July 18 after a blaze tore through bushes and trees on the edge of the ground, with spectators moved to safety.
Bar manager Rebecca Evans said her nine-year-old daughter, who plays junior cricket, came inside to raise the alarm while she was serving customers. Ms Evans told the BBC: "I went out and it was just a fire. I started walking towards it while I was phoning 999 and it was just getting bigger and bigger."
The fire broke out on the boundary bordering Cale Green Park, an area where people often gather out of sight. Ms Evans said her daughter had been "scared" as children were moved into the clubhouse to ensure they were safe while everyone waited for the fire brigade.
Latest in a series of incidents
Club officials say the fire is the latest in a series of incidents in which the club has been targeted by fires and vandalism. Treasurer Herman Schurink reportedly said cases of vandalism are increasing, with up to £700 spent on repairing a wall, and that without volunteers the work would have cost thousands of pounds.
"We've got to sell 1,000 pints of beer to make that money back," he said, adding that he believes more secure fencing is the answer.
A post from Stockport Cricket Club Bar & Function Room described the corner of Cale Green Park that backs onto the club as "quite a big open space once you get through the bushes." It claimed kids have caused trouble for over a year, including throwing lit cans at cricketers, breaking benches, knocking down a wall, and setting fires. The post said the fire on July 18 was "quite big" and on the club's side of the wall, guessing that aerosol cans were lit and thrown. It called for clearing the bushes and ploughing the soil to open up the space and deter troublemakers, adding that only two months earlier the fire brigade had been called to a large fire on the park side.
Police and council involvement
The club has reported previous damage including to benches and walls, fires, trespassing and racist graffiti. Greater Manchester Police is reportedly looking into the reports of vandalism, and Stockport Council is examining ways to make the area safer.
The incident comes as extreme summer temperatures have left vegetation tinder dry, with blazes breaking out across the country. The Mirror has contacted both GMP and Stockport Council for comment.
