Stumped cricketers are set to leave the village that has been their home for 79 years after a bitter battle with parish councillors led to their eviction.

Bacton Cricket Club, which was founded in 1934, has been ordered off the Cubitt Memorial Playing Field by owner Bacton Parish Council.

Monday's decision by councillors was the climax of a flurry of exchanges between the two, which blew up over council concerns about the club failing to comply with ground regulations.

It is almost certainly set to be the end of cricket in Bacton, despite a burgeoning petition from local residents.

But Bacton's loss looks likely to be North Walsham's gain. For the club is set to relocate to the town's high school and become North Walsham Cricket Club - which folded two decades ago.

Bacton CC has played at the Cubitt Memorial field for 37 years, but honorary treasurer Ramone Stringer said time had run out.

He said: 'The parish council kept coming up with rules and regulations. This has been bubbling up for a long while. They wanted all our players to sign the rules and regulations, but they weren't happy.

'They said they didn't have the fixtures in time, and that the insurance details weren't up in the pavilion.'

Mr Stringer added: 'It's very sad for Bacton, which should always have a cricket club. But we're 99.9pc certain to move to North Walsham High School and change our name.

'The move will probably pay off, because North Walsham should have a cricket club and it will attract youngsters to play.'

Parish clerk Elaine Pugh said: 'The club has been written to at least 12 times, requesting information that they must comply with.

'They missed the deadline to submit the insurance policy and did not repair the cricket cage.'

Mrs Pugh added: 'It's a sorry saga, and this is something that the council really did not want to do. But they have to come to the table and adhere to the rules.'

The resolution agreed on Monday said: 'This council reviewed the evidence and all agreed that the cricket club's behaviour was unacceptable and it was time to take strong action in order to get the club to comply and to work with the council.'

The club is banned from the playing field for the rest of the season, but the council said it could request to reinstate its matches there if it complied with the regulations within two months.