IT’S the end of the road for Pegasus & Corringham Cricket Club.

The club, known as Peg, has decided to fold because its lease at Pegasus Sports & Social Club in Corringham ends on May 31.

The Herd Lane ground – which was owned by Mobil, then BP, then PetroPlus – is is about to be sold.

Club president John Bennett said it was a sad day for Corringham that there would no longer be cricket at the ground.

“We’ve decided to fold the club and I’m sure that a lot of our players will end up at other cricket clubs in the area,” he said.

“So many of us have such happy memories of playing at Herd Lane. From the start in 1953 it was a great, safe and friendly place to play cricket and bring up your kids. We’re all going to miss it.”

Current first team captain Paul Bennett said: “It’s a very sad day for the club to end in this way. It’s a big loss to the youth of Corringham.”

Cricket begun at the ground in the early 1950s when the social club was opened to lure workers to the refinery.

By 1981 Pegasus were playing in the Lillywhite Essex County Cricket League, making a jump to the Chargecrest Security Invitation League in 1987.

Spells in the Glayva Essex Invitation League and Morrant Essex Cricket League (1992-2000) followed and then, in December 2000 the club amalgamated with Corringham CC.

This merger led to a strengthening of the club who played in the T Rippon Mid Essex Cricket League (2001-2011) before joining the Shepherd & Neame League in 2012.

Peg chairman Dave Francis said: “Over the years the club achieved many honours with the strongest period, without doubt, being from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s.

“The demise of many clubs is usually due to either a lack of players or a lack of finance – in our situation this is not the case, but is entirely due to the fact of the refinery company going into receivership.

“We have been aware for the past 18 months that it was highly likely that we would lose the use of the ground and facilities.

“And during this period we have made extensive efforts to find a suitable ground on which to continue but, unfortunately, our efforts have been in vain resulting in the decision, sadly, to disband the club.”