BASEBALL players in Waltham Abbey have a new and improved ball park in which to hit home runs, writes Dominic Gover.

Five years of fund-raising and hard work to build a new dugout and practice facility has come to fruition for the Essex Arrows.

First-team coach Phil Chesterton, 64, was overcome by emotion as the red ribbon was cut at the Townsmead in Brooker Road.

The Waltham Abbey-based Arrows play in the top league in England.

“I’ve been here since 1984 and it’s the result of years of hard work,” said Chesterton.

“Most of the work has been done by team members. It was them who put in the labour.

“I was really quite emotional about it, because I’ve lived with this for a long time and have worked for ages and ages.

“At times it seemed like we would never get the money, or the planning permission.

“But then I went there and saw diggers and builders, and the dugout emerged over two weeks.”

The £30,000-plus works were made possible by the efforts of club member David Shaer.

He secured funding from a number of civic organisations, said Chesterton.

The construction had to be finished in time for the start of the new season.

There was a line of local dignitaries who attended the official opening recently, including Waltham Abbey mayor Ricki Gadsby and Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing.