DOVER Cricket Club, which would have celebrated its centenary next year, is no more.

The Crabble-based club, which has lurched from one problem to another in recent years, finally reached the end of the road at an extraordinary general meeting.

The 15 members who turned up voted unanimously to disband the club, which has debts of more than £10,000.

Dover's long history includes winning the Kent League title twice in the 1980s and producing players of the calibre of Derek Aslett and Chris Penn, both of whom went on to play for Kent.

Dover owe £8,000 in outstanding rent on their Crabble ground, £1,400 to Shepherd Neame who provide the beer for the Crabble clubhouse, and £800 to English Landscapes who look after the pitch on behalf of Dover District Council.

Dave Romans, who has been acting secretary/treasurer for the past nine months said: "Jack Kremer, the club's life vice-president, and myself, told the members that if they wanted to carry on they would have to find a way of paying off the debts.

"We advised them that the best thing would be to close the club down so that they would not be liable for the debts, and the meeting voted unanimously in favour of that course of action. It's sad but that's the way it goes."

Mick Rogers, who took over as captain midway through last season, said: "I am very sad that it has to come this because we wanted to keep the club going, and so did the other players.

"But the debts are just too great to pay off. It's ridiculous how they were allowed to mount up over recent years."