| Wollaston Cricket Club The home of Club Cricket |
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WOLLASTON CRICKET CLUB HISTORY Organised cricket was played in Wollaston from around the middle of the nineteenth century or even earlier. However, Wollaston Cricket Club was formed in 1889 when, at a meeting at the school in College Street it was agreed that Wollaston Star Cricket Club, the Wollaston Mechanics Cricket Club and Wollaston Park Cricket Club would amalgamate and form a new club to be called Wollaston Cricket Club. The new club played originally in the grounds of Wollaston Hall (now part of the Scott Bader Chemical Plant). Initially “friendly” matches were the order of the day followed later by campaigns in various local knock-out cup competitions and gradually the Club began to make an impact. After three consecutive victories in County-wide Rural Cup competition confidence was high, culminating in acceptance to the Kettering and District League, followed, by several championship successes in the ‘Southern Section’. In 1922 the club were forced to seek a new home and almost immediately the future President, Mr. Gibbard, offered the use of a meadow which was later to become part of the village playing field. The twenties and thirties proved a golden age for Wollaston C.C. In addition to the first team and recently formed second eleven winning their respective divisions, several Wollaston players received County recognition. Ben Bellamy (wicket keeper), Vern Murdin, Reg Partridge and Cyril Perkins all found the first rung of the cricketing ladder at Wollaston before making their mark for Northamptonshire over many years. In 1957 Wollaston joined the Northants County League followed by their Second team in 1961. The Club won the old Second Division (now the Premier) in 1959-60, 61 and again in 1973 and have been runners up on several occasions including 2006. In 2006 the Club reached the Board 20 Finals Day At the County Ground-losing in the semi final and in 2007 won the division one title and gained promotion to the premier division. In 2009 the Club won the Board 20 Plate. The Club has a thriving Youth Section under the guidance of a senior coach and competes at Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 age groups, and has strong links with several schools in the area and is now Clubmark accredited. The Club also stages and encourages Junior NCB representative games at Wollaston and considers this aspect of the club to be vitally important. Except for one season (1991) the First Eleven played in the second tier of Northamptonshire cricket from 1957 until 2007 but after winning the Division One title we were promoted to the top level (Premier Division) in 2008. A great achievement and one that the Club and everyone associated with it (members, vice presidents, sponsors and supporters) should be justly proud of. In 2006 & 2014 the Club reached the Board 20 Finals Day At the County Ground-losing in the semi finals. In 2010 the Club added a Third league team for the first time. Competing in Division Thirteen of the Northamptonshire Cricket League and following subsequent promotions the Thirds have progressed upwards to Division Nine ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cricket was certainly being played by a club or clubs in Wollaston in 1863 and 1865. In fact there are several match reports from 1865 including a match between Wollaston and 'Young Northampton'!
But perhaps the most relevant is the final cutting from February 1889 ( scroll down) which shows a meeting to establish a single cricket club in Wollaston. Wollaston Cricket Club was formed. February 1889 - The Start as we know it
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