Bexley Cricket Club is one of the leading clubs in the South
East of England, with a history dating back about 200 years.
Cricket has been played in Bexley village ever since the time when
it really was a village. The club has the detailed scores of matches
played as early as 1802, and there are references to Bexley men playing
cricket as long ago as 1746.
Many of the early matches were played for enormous sums of money,
with wealthy patrons throwing down challenges to their friends.
In one memorial match, in 1805, Bexley played Kent for 500 guineas,
equivalent to over £30,000 today. Bexley won the match, with a little
help from three very good guest players, bowling out Kent for only 6 runs.
There must have been some spectacular celebrations in the village that night!
Over the years many famous cricketers have played in Bexley. The most
famous of all, Dr W.G.Grace, made his considerable presence felt here in 1913.
When he opened the innings for a visiting team and scored 54. He commented to
the man sitting next to him at lunch "What a pretty ground this is".
From 1949 to 1956 Old Time Crickets matches were held at the ground. These were
between the Club and Bexley Round Table with the proceeds donated to charity.
All the players, umpires, scorers and many of the spectators entered into
the spirit of the occasion by dressing in the fashion of the 1850s.
The teams arrived at the ground by horse drawn carriages in a procession
through the High Street, being lead by Ken Kelsey a local player and a very
great enthusiast for these events on a penny farthing bicycle, he used to wave
to the crowds on the pavements. The popularity of these events was proved by
the large number of spectators that came from all the surrounding areas.
Old Time Cricket Match.
One of the highlights of the playing and social calendar is the annual Cricket
Week. Invited teams play matches against Bexley throughout the week, many of the
home players arrange their annual holiday to participate in the weeks matches
and festivities.
In the past the whole village played a part in the
enjoyment of the week, the High Street was decorated throughout by placing
banners and bunting across the road. On the Saturday evening there was always
a procession that started from the eastern end of the High Street with
decorated floats and participants in fancy dress. As the procession
approached the ground the game in progress was stopped, whatever
the state of the game. The participants would park on the perimeter
of the ground for judging the best decorated float. After prizes were
handed out, all the floats joined in a water and flour fight. The culmination
was a "Ben Hur" type race using Roman chariot converted tractors. Although
Cricket Week still remains and is a great success, because of an increase in
traffic and changing life style, full village participation unfortunatly seems to
have been less noticable as of late.
The ground transformed for
players and spectators alike in Cricket Week.
Other famous names, such as Denis Compton, Learie (later Lord) Constantine,
Les Ames and many other Test players have played at Manor Way in the annual
Cricket Week. The former Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas Home, a very
capable cricketer in his younger days. also played in Cricket Week,
scoring 50. Another former Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, has been
a social member for 50 years.
Four Bexley members have played for England:- Arthur Wellard, whose parents
kept the Black Horse pub in Albert Road, was a mighty hitter and a
fast bowler. Legend has it that he once hit a ball to Chatham, the ball
having landed on a train passing on the nearby railway line.
Legend has it that Mr Kelsey snr issued a challenge to the cricketers that a
prize of £5 would be presented to any batsman who could hit the pavilion tower clock.
It needed a very big hitter to be able to rise to the challenge. Of cause
this prize was eventually won by Arthur Wellard by successfully striking the
clock tower that at the time stood on top of the pavillion before it was removed in
later years.
John Shuter and Harry Wood were both in the England team that beat the Australians
in two days in the Oval Test of 1888. (Perhaps there is a message here for
the present England selectors - if you want to beat the Australians pick two
Bexley players!) And in recent times (1996) Min Patel, the Bexley and Kent
left-arm spin bowler, joined the list.
Match on an overcast day.
The club has a very thriving Colts Section, where young cricketers from the
age of eight - girls as well as boys receive coaching and play in matches
against other school and club sides of the same age. Most of the coaches are
EBC-qualified. Parents are encouraged to take part in club activities, to
create a friendly, family atmosphere.
The club has had its ups and downs over the years, but had a particularly
successful time in the 1990s, winning the Kent League Champioship in 1996
and reaching the final of the prestigious Evening Standard Trophy the same
year.
In 1999 the Kent League was reorganised, with a Premier Divsion made up
of the 10 strongest clubs in the county, including Bexley, playing two-day
matches over consecutive Saturdays.
With all the changes, however Bexley Cricket Club still retains many features
of the village cricket club, with its lovely tree lined setting and its wooden
pavilion. Spectators are welcome on match days.
In 1990 Roger Hill a club member since 1958 as a player, Secretary,
Chairman and President wrote a book on the clubs history. It was thought
that as time passed many of the facts were only in old members memories
and not put to paper. Roger researched through the Local Studies Centre
for old newspaper reports, local documents, and the MMC Libary amongst many sites
in his search for forgotton facts. All this work resulted in the publication of
the "History of Bexley Cricket Club" a 136 page book containing historic facts,
and stories from the past and including many photographs, some dating back many
years.
I should like to acknowledge the help and assistance of Roger Hill and his book
and the use of photographs in the compiling of this Cricket Club web page.
