The web site was established in June 2009. To read about
the events of 2009, 2010 & 2011 and see the averages follow the links above. All the events
from 2012 are stored under
'News Archive'. We are grateful to Kerry Miller for supplying the article
about the early history of Collingbourne CC and to Graham Chandler for the
photographs.
Collingbourne cricket...the
early years...
Despite the current Collingbourne Cricket Club being a mere stripling at 25
years old, the twin villages of Ducis and Kingston were arguably two of the most
influential in the development of the game in a more recognisable and organised
form which led to competitive cricket and a burgeoning following.
Although cricket had been played in various forms since the 1700s it was enjoyed
sporadically in and around Wiltshire and North Hants until the late Victorian
era when the advent of leisure time and the expansion of the railway system made
it more accessible. In the 1870s there were teams playing at Wherwell Priory,
Hurstbourne Park, Tangley, and a number of other country houses, as the landed
gentry and upper classes indulged themselves on pitches attached to the mansions
as they were often the only piece of flat land available to create a reasonable
surface. Many of the teams were liberally sprinkled with Doctors, Reverends,
Viscounts and the occasional Lord as the working classes often could not afford
to take time off to play, or indeed risk injury and therefore be unable to work.
The game spread fast to many villages as during the 1880s
farm workers and those employed by the gentry enjoyed half days off and in
Andover clubs sprang up among workers with pitches being created on the Walled
Meadow and Herbert Strides Meadow, as they enjoyed half day closing on
Wednesdays. Chute, Penton, Abbotts Ann, Quarley, Grateley, Stockbridge, Fyfield,
Longstock, St Mary Bourne, Vernham Dean, Amport, Tytherley, Faccombe, Longparish,
Hurstbourne Priors, Weyhill and Over Wallop all had teams, mostly playing on
fields which were little more than flattened strips of turf with some not being
granted permission to cut the outfield as it was required for grazing cattle
when not used for cricket. Collingbourne CC may well have been playing in
earlier times but they came to prominence around 1888 when the Andover
Advertiser announced that the club played its last game of the season that year
on October 20th by which time they had played a mere 11 games all summer and had
enjoyed six wins. In those days, despite all cricket being of a friendly nature,
some village clubs would bring in players from outside the parish, for more
difficult games, a practice which was widely condemned as ‘not in keeping with
the good name of cricket’ . Eventually in 1890, at a dinner at the Commercial
Hotel in Andover hosted by Dene CC, a suggestion was put to those in attendance
which would change the face of village cricket and drag it into a more modern
era. A village knock out competition was mooted where only players who lived in
the village or householders residing within a ten mile radius would be eligible.
During the following winter there were any number of meetings
and in December Mr Cedric Pain, a cricketer and occasional footballer from
Westover in Andover, offered a cup to be played for by villages within an 11
mile radius of the town and Collingbourne Kingston CC were one of the sides to
enter the first Andover and District Village Cricket Challenge Cup. It was seen
at the time as an antidote to the ‘win at all costs’ attitude which had taken
hold in many places and was also seen as a way to ‘keep the men folk of the
village from loafing’ as there was often little do except work and sleep. The
entry fee was 5/- and all matches would have neutral umpires and all draws would
be replayed with the final held on the new Recreation Ground, now Vigo Rec, in
Andover.
Subscriptions to help pay for the new cup were soon sent in
and as usual various Colonels and Reverends took the opportunity to display
their benevolence with either 10/- or a guinea.
There were still friendly matches to be had and that summer
the newly reformed Andover CC arranged a match at Collingbourne Kingston’s
ground near the church and behind the vicarage in Brunton (Lane.) Those in the
position to go away for the day took the opportunity to do so with 14 men
travelling on a two-horse brake from the White Horse Hotel, leaving at 9.45am.
All went well with the pleasant trip until they reached an awkward part of the
road near the church where a lane leading from the main road to the railway had
a three foot bank no more than 20 yards from the cricket ground. People from the
village rushed to see the impressive brake but their excitement frightened the
horses and they skidded which caused the box on the axle to collapse. All but
two were dashed to the floor with cricket bags, coats, hats and news papers
following them.
In true Victorian spirit the party went to the hostelry to
clean up while a man was sent to repair the brake and the horses
were sent home. The game went ahead but on a hard and bumpy pitch most of the
men took more knocks although Andover won by three runs. After the game the team
walked to Collingbourne Ducis where they were entertained to tea by Mr Walter
Wroth but their tribulations were not over. On returning home by train they
learned that their bags had been left on the stricken brake and had been forced
open and the contents rifled and while driving home on another brake, Mr
Nutley's pony fell and was injured at Weyhill.
The first cup competition was a great success with Over
Wallop beating St Mary Bourne in the final, having beaten Collingbourne,
Wherwell and Abbotts Ann to get there. Wherwell won it the following year which
heralded a period of domination by them . Collingbourne had by then gained the
use of a pavilion on their ground and with the railway open from Swindon to
Andover it gave the chance of a number of new venues and a better quality of
opposition.
The various factors had seen the game steadily improve and
increase and by the mid 1890s virtually every village had a team and Andover CC,
through their well known butcher, land owner and entrepreneur Fred Best, often
attracted top cricketers such as George Lohmann to play the occasional game
which increased the interest and coverage in the local press which benefited all
including Colllingbourne CC. The club reached its first cup final in 1894 where
they had beaten Wonston and Over Wallop to qualify to play the all conquering
Wherwell at the Rec in front of several hundred. Wherwell won it for a third
time and therefore were given it to keep and to this day it still resides in
that village’s cricket clubhouse.
The following season saw a tweaking of the rules of the
competition where the price of lunch was reduced to 1/6d as many working men had
already lost a day’s pay to play and playing rules were also altered so as to
include boys away at boarding school, who were made eligible.
Collingbourne were drawn to play at Quarley although the season began as had
become customary, with a game against Andover which proved how well the club had
gained respect in the area for their hospitality, sportsmanship and playing
facilities. Once again Wherwell beat Collingbourne in the final at the Rec,
bowling them out for 72 and 99 after making 169 in the first innings to win the
competition for the fourth time running.
Wherwell’s ground, next to Fullerton Station, was also
impressive and seen by some, including those at Collingbourne, as something to
aspire to.
The club made little headway on the pitch in 1896, indeed Andover, who were not
averse to employing professionals hit 351 against them that summer before
Wherwell finally relinquished their hold on the Village Cup when losing in the
final to Amport.
The following season’s match at Andover was no less painful
and the travelling party left the village in a snowstorm for a Wednesday
afternoon game and were hammered for 352-5. Happily Collingbourne made their
mark on the cup that season as they beat Amport in the final.
During the winter of 1898 the Village Cup hit a crisis as
interest had appeared to wain due in the main to travel problems. Some suggested
that as friendlies had become meaningless then the competition should be in
league form with play offs, and be more regionalised and that proved a catalyst
as 12 clubs, including Collingbourne, entered split into three divisions. In
June the side played Amport at Hay Down in what was described as the most
exciting match ever seen in that ground where the home team won with just eight
minutes left.
Sadly the new system proved unworkable as Clatford scratched
twice, meaning the well thought of Wherwell were eliminated through no fault of
their own but a year later there was a straight divisional set up and
Collingbourne again reached the final where they were beaten by Broughton, who
had taken over the mantle of top side from Wherwell.
In 1900 Collingbourne finally triumphed in the cup as having
won their division they beat St Mary Bourne in the final at Hurstbourne Park. It
stretched over two days and attracted a huge crowd as Collingbourne won by 47
runs to great celebrations.
It was Collingbourne’s turn to dominate and with the May and
Wroth families to the fore they won the 1901 tournament, taking Broughton’s
crown in the semi-final and then defeating Wherwell over two days.
Albert May was chief wicket taker in those days and in 1902
he took 14 wickets for 17 runs as his side beat Ludgershall, who had entered for
the first time. The cup was again split into three divisions, one of which was
won by Collingbourne who beat Broughton again to reach their third consecutive
final. It was a magnificent game with the side all out for 71 before St Mary
Bourne replied with 113. On the second day Collingbourne staged a comeback,
making 142 and setting St Mary Bourne 101 to win. Win they did as Saints’
Medhurst hit 56no and was shouldered back to the pavilion in triumph.
As the Victorian era made way for the Edwardians the game was booming but the
problems of time off from work were never far away and although the side once
again beat Ludgershall in the divisional decider in 1903 they struggled to raise
a side for the final against Wherwell as it coincided with harvest time. Despite
that in a low scoring game Collingbourne were all out for 28 before bowling
Wherwell out for 25. In the second inninings ‘Bourne made 60 then contained
Wherwell to 58-4 and were again shouldered to the Andover Rec pavilion by their
excited supporters.
The club were often to the fore in the press and in 1904 they
yet again won their division, beating both Abbotts Ann and Ludgershall home and
away but they were stunned in the semi-final, held at Andover as they were well
beaten by St Mary Bourne.
The 1905 cricket season descended into farce and chaos as any number of protests
were lodged. Broughton withdrew from the cup in protest as one of their players
was found to have two cottages, one of which was in Longstock where he slept
occasionally, which was deemed unacceptable while St Mary Bourne protested over
the inclusion to two Wherwell players, saying that one of them used his father’s
house for four days, which debarred him from playing.
St Mary Bourne lost to Wherwell but lodged three protests,
the third that the play-off game was after the league cut off point but Wherwell
had the last laugh as they won the third match. By the time the final at the Rec
was staged, on a Thursday afternoon, interest had all but disappeared and
Collingbourne were all out for 29 and 32 against Wherwell’s 112, who won with
ease. After the bedlam the rules were again looked at and it was decided that a
list of names should be sent to the secretary before the season which would
include players who had resided in the parish for at least three months to
become eligible. It began with an amazing game at Abbotts Ann who batted first
and made 59 all out, described as ‘useful’. Collingbourne were then all out for
16 including four extras before skittling Abbotts Ann for 28. After calling for
the heavy roller Collingbourne made 78-0 in their second innings to win with
seven overs to spare. Having played their home game Abbotts scratched their away
games to save on expenses leaving Collingbourne and Broughton to play for a
final spot. Sadly the press condemned the behaviour of some of the players
saying “exit sport…..”.
With only six teams in the competition which was again
struggling, Collingbourne and St Mary Bourne again met in the final, which for
once attracted a useful crowd over two days at the Rec. St Mary Bourne made 97
then bowled Collingbourne out for 35. They then piled up 172 all out leaving an
unlikely 235 to win. Collingbourne had no hope and lost by 169 runs. In the
summer of 1907 the lesser known Collingbourne Ducis were virtually dormant
playing little if any cricket but Collingbourne Kingston still ploughed on and
Albert May hit a rare ton against Andover at the Rec. In the cup they yet again
reached the final after beating Wherwell then in front of a large crowd beat
Abbotts Ann to set up a repeat of the all-Bourne final at the Rec.
On the first day Saints took the honours as they made 111
before bowling out Collingbourne for 53 but on the second day, after bad light
had intervened the night before, having bowled the opposition out again for 60
they chased and made 122-6 to take the cup again, chiefly due to CB May who was
shouldered to the pavilion as was the custom.
For the 1908 season the cup competition reverted back to a
league format which alienated a few clubs but nine entered in two divisions
including both Colllingbournes. Ducis withdrew before the start, as did Wherwell
but Kingston were still strong and played an all day game at Andover. They
returned later for another final where they won the cup once again by beating
Amport in an exciting game, despite a thunderstorm during the afternoon.
A year later the club emphasised their standing and
superiority as they won five out of six games in getting past Abbotts Ann and
Over Wallop to reach the final against a strong Kings Somborne . The big day saw
villagers swarming all over the Rec despite it being an inconvenient date for
working men as crops were in need of gathering. It was Somborne’s first match in
Andover for 15 years but Collingbourne made sure they went home empty handed. On
the first day Somborne made 119 in reply to 106 but both Charlie and Walter
Wroth made big scores in the second innings which proved too much. Walter
captained the triumphant side in the match which was the last for Charlie before
he emigrated to New Zealand.
In the summer of 1909 Jack Wroth, brother of brother of
Charlie, was made Village Cup secretary and 13 teams formed three divisions in a
league format. Ludgershall’s home game with Collingbourne was played in a
hostile atmosphere as the home crowd were angry towards the umpire then they
beat Abbotts Ann by one run. A big crowd at Brunton Lane saw a win over Amport
and by July the club had won all their games and played Sutton Scotney at the
Rec in the semi-final, with Grateley having gone straight to the final. Albert
May and Jack Wroth both made big scores in the win which brought yet another
final back at the Rec in glorious weather in front of a big crowd. The game
began at 11.15am and Grateley made 98 before bowling Collingbourne out for 106
then on the second day Grateley scored 110 setting Collingbourne 103 to win. It
was not to be as they were all out for 81 and Grateley had toppled the mighty
‘Bourne in their very first season in the cup.
During the winter a number of men left Grateley village and
the side were unable to defend their trophy and faded as quickly as they had
risen. It was a family affair at Collingbourne as Walter, Warwick, Les and Jack
Wroth were all in the side as they beat a luckless Ludgershall to set up a
play-off with Amport but they lost the semi-final to hand the baton over for a
while as Kings Somborne won the final in style by an innings.
By 1911 the Village Cup was down to six teams and
Collingbourne were too strong as they won all their league games against
Broughton and Over Wallop. The final was early that year, on June 20/21 and
finalists Somborne got off to a fine start hitting 190 in three hours.
Collingbourne were in by 3pm and made 133 which was not enough. In searing heat
in the second day Somborne compiled a massive 296 all out leaving Collingbourne
to make an impossible 356 to win. They were all out for 117 and the season
petered out months later after only having played around 15 matches showing that
there was little interest in friendly cricket.
In 1912 ‘Bourne were still strong but Broughton were
struggling and scratched most of their cup games meaning the competition was
effectively between six clubs. Again Somborne thrashed Collingbourne in the
final, bowling them out for 60 and 50 after hitting 187. Ironically on receiving
the trophy it was suggested that Kings Somborne reduced their batting strength
to give other clubs a chance. The club wanted to keep the cup and offered to
stand down from the league if need be.
It proved to be the last game for Collingbourne as before the
1913 season they withdrew from the league which by then had just four teams
left. By the least peacetime season in 1914 Collingbourne CC announced that they
would no longer play league cricket as there were only six or seven men left in
the village who could actually play the game and Somborne indeed stood down as
they had won it four years running and with the ever present threat of war the
competition went ahead with five teams entered and many clubs went into
hibernation before finally closing down for what would prove to be five long
years.
Kerry Miller
sports editor
Andover Advertiser
Club History
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