POOLE Park visitors upset at the loss of the green space’s prominent flower displays turned green with envy when they saw this £7,500 cricket wicket being laid.

In a bid to save cash, the council recently grassed over a display bed at the Kingland Road entrance and won’t be planting the usual five colourful Olympic rings.

So walkers weren’t happy when the cricketers had this pitch improvement, paid for by developer contributions.

A park worker said: “People have heard about how the council can’t afford to plant the beds. It upset a lot of the daily walkers in the park, and they were exactly the same people who had to watch contractors install the artifical wicket.

“Cricket’s a minority thing and the feeling is that things should be provided for young and old to enjoy.”

Clive Smith, Head of Leisure Services, Borough of Poole, said cutting the number of lamppost and floral carpet bed displays came from the maintenance budgets but that flowers were still being planted.

“The installation of the new cricket facility has been funded by a designated recreational budget for the park from developer contributions, and cannot be used towards the maintenance of flowerbeds,” he said.

The cricket club asked for the wicket, which will require very little in the way of maintenance and will be enjoyed by people of all ages, he added.