History 1947 - 1997

THE WINCHESTER & DISTRICT CRICKET CLUBS’ ASSOCIATION

The Association celebrated fifty years of existence in March, 1997. It was the brainchild of Mr. P.H. Warwick, the Winchester City Engineer who had invited seven city clubs to a meeting at the Guildhall on Friday, the 14 March, 1947 to seek their views. The meeting drew up a list of potentially interested clubs and a further meeting was arranged for Friday, the 28th March. Thirteen clubs attended that meeting and an Association was duly formed to promote and encourage interest in cricket within the Rural District Council boundary, to maintain and improve co-operation between local cricket clubs and to give them such assistance as may be possible in overcoming difficulties with regard to grounds, umpires, gear, fixtures and other matters relating to their interests. The initial membership fee was 75p.

Four of those clubs exist to-day but only three remain in membership whilst a further three have amalgamated with later members. The initial thirteen clubs were Hampshire Police, Compton & Shawford, Oliver’s Battery, West Hill, Eastgate, Worthy Down, St. Cross, Hyde Ramblers, The Castle, Tichborne, King Alfred Boys’ Club, Hampshire Hogs and Weeke. Mr. W.H. Vincent was elected Chairman and Mr. A.W.J. Cleeve became Secretary with five clubs elected to form a Committee. By May the Association had a further five members and a Knock-Out Competition organised for June was won by Hyde Ramblers. In January 1948 Sir Anthony Tichborne presented a trophy for this competition following a meeting with Michael May and this became known as The Tichborne Trophy being presented the first time in 1948 to Castle Cricket Club.

The Association also played representative games from its inception and took an active part in the Winchester Cricket Festival Week at North Walls. The latter became their sole responsibility in 1953 but faltered through lack of support and increasing costs lasting until 1958. To provide an incentive for village clubs a new knock-out competition was launched in 1960. Initially called “The Village Knock-Out” the clubs competed for a trophy donated by Mr. H.F. Igglesden of the Compton & Shawford Cricket Club. This became very popular with the qualifying clubs providing much needed prestige. From the season 1975 it was re-named “The Igglesden Trophy” in memory of its donor.

The Association proposed the formation of a cricket league in 1952 but this did not achieve the necessary support but nevertheless it was pleased to support the Hampshire League project in the early seventies.

The introduction of an Umpires’ Section in 1954 through the hard work of Frank Higgs and Bill Sedgwick proved to be most invaluable and this provided the basis for the Winchester & District Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers formed in 1984. However perhaps the most beneficial facility provided by the Association was the commencement of group coaching in 1958 at Romsey Road School under the auspices of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Cricket Council. This has grown to mammoth proportions with all age groups, at club, competition and representative levels being catered for and where no limits abound.

The Association continued to expand with the formation of an Evening League and Cup Competitions in 1966 and 1973. It introduced an Indoor Cricket Competition first at Henri Beaufort School and then at the Winchester Leisure Centre. There have also been successful periods of Single-Wicket and Week-End League Competitions.

The Association celebrated its Silver Jubilee in style in 1972 with an evening limited-over match between a Hampshire County Cricket XI and an Association XI at North Walls Recreation Ground in July and a dinner at the Guildhall in September.

Similar lavish arrangements were made for its Golden Jubilee with six representative cricket matches during the season at Junior, Senior and Over 50 levels which included a biennial fixture with the MCC plus a Gala Dinner at the Guildhall in October 1997.

In that year the Association boasted a membership of 46 clubs with 20 providing junior cricket and it embarked on a three year junior cricket development programme funded by a Benevolent Trust set up for that purpose.

Author – David Williams