A brief history of Ashley Cricket Club
This section compiled with the help of "Ashley Cricket Club; A History 1888
- 1988" by GF Turton and numerous minute books dating from 1890.
1888 – Founded. Ashley
village comprised a small cluster of cottages close to the Greyhound Inn, a
row of railway cottages together with the recently erected St. Elizabeth’s
church and the school, built in 1850. The club rented a field from a Mr.
Norbury.
1890 – Moved to current
ground, “the Railway Field”, rented from Mr Erlam who offered the two acre
field for an annual rent of £6, with the option of grazing cattle thereon.
An offer of £8 with no grazing was accepted by the landowner for exclusive
use of the ground.
1890 – Match reports appeared
in the Altrincham & Bowdon Guardian detailing two games against Tatton.
1890 – First recorded AGM
held the Village School room on 29th September. The Treasurer
reported a balance of 11 shillings and thrupence.
1891 – Ground extended to 51
by 41 yards. First recorded match played against local rivlas Timperley.
Ashley were 40 all out in pursuit of Timperley’s 46. In the first season 13
games were played of which 6 were won and 3 were drawn. Toft, Mobberley,
Lymm, Tatton and Dunham were amongst the opposition.
1892 – Mr J Cater Owen
provided the club with a tent, which may have served as a pavilion for a
number of years. Mr. Hiles donated a flagpole. On 11th June
eleven gentlemen of Ashley played against eleven ladies of Ashley. The men
batted with broomsticks; they also bowled and fielded left-handed. The
ladies “had the assistance of Miss Mabel Bentley of Knutsford, one of the
best lady players in the County”. Miss Bentley took 16 wickets in a two
innings a side game. In a game played at Timperley on 27th
August, W Bracegirdle carried his bat for 35 out of a total of 83, the first
recorded instance of this being achieved by an Ashley batsmen.
1894 – Opponents included
Chelford, Brooklands, Fulshaw and Bowdon.
1895 – Letter received from a
firm of solicitors suggesting the club may be contravening The Highways Act
by wheeling bicycles down the path to the ground. First recorded 2nd
XI game v Altrincham Grammar School.
1896 – Ashley are dismissed
for 16 against Bowdon 2nds, E Davies scores 15 the other run is an extra.
Bowdon score 165 in reply.
1897 – Of the 12 games played
5 were won and 2 were drawn.
1899 – Hockey played at
Ashley
1900 – President, Rev G
Birtwell and 5 other Vice Presidents resigned from the committee. The
General Meeting was held in November in the Greyhound Inn.
1901 – The “tent” was broken
into and a number of unspecified items were stolen.
1902 – A professional concert
party, “The Merrions”, were engaged to entertain the members at The Literary
Institute (later part of the now defunct Stamford Hall) at a cost of £18.
Committee members distribute 2,500 handbills to houses in the
Altrincham/Hale area, a further 1,500 are given out in the streets on the
night of the concert.
1903 – C Disraeli MP invited
to become Patron. 1st and 2nd XI batsman and bowler of
the year to receive 5/- prize; if funds allowed it the fielder of the year
to also receive 5/-
1904 – Club colours agreed.
The square was re-laid in part. C Disraeli MP is deleted from the list of
Patrons. In a game against Mr W J Crossley’s XI R.A. Lambert takes all 10
wickets for 22 runs, 7 were clean bowled. R Hall (6*) carries his bat in the
first innings of a game against Bowdon 2nd XI on 27th
August.
1906 – Annual dinner held at
the Greyhound Inn. Tennis played at the club. Throughout the year 32
committee meetings were held, a Mr Davenport attended 28 of them.
1911 – Village fete held on
the ground on 15th July. Admission 3d before 5pm, 6d after 5pm.
The club now owned a horse, which was used for mowing and rolling.
1914 – Ground enlarged by 6
yards. A pavilion fund was started. Rent increased to £10 per year.
1915 – At EGM the Secretary
revealed that fixture secretaries from numerous clubs had written to say
that owing to the War their membership had been greatly depleted and they
were obliged to cancel all their fixtures.
Wed 16th April
1919 – Ashley CC reconstituted. During the coming season the club would play
16 games; 6 were won and 10 lost.
1920 – New pavilion erected
by Mr. Collier at a cost of £79.
1921 – Local Member of
Parliament Major Hamilton became a Vice President and paid a subscription.
1922 – The club had 48
playing members. The drainage had been troublesome for a number of years and
the surface drains were cleared out. A horse was still on the ground staff.
An extra 2nd XI was formed playing mid-week or away games.
1923 – C Vickers takes a hat
trick and 4 wickets in 5 balls. T Rowlands scores the first recorded club
hundred.
1925 – A Mr. Gill wanted £33
for cutting the long grass around the ground. A fee of £25 was eventually
agreed on. The tea pavilion was demolished.
1929 – The club now owned a
petrol mower. A 3rd XI played Cleveland (Hale) on Saturday 1st
June at Grove Lane, Hale, this is the first reference to an Ashley 3rd
XI.
1930 – Only 2 matches were
won. The clubs holds its first tour, during Whit Week to Wirksworth. J K
Allen scores a then record 511 runs.
1931 – Of 20 matches 6 were
won and 11 lost.
1934 – 11 out of 23 matches
were won. A new ladies pavilion was erected. A match levy (6d) was
introduced. H Wood scores 516 runs.
1935 – K Allen and G Jackson
put on 199 for the 1st wicket, opposition unknown.
1936 – Ground enlarged by a
further 28 yards.
1937 – F Goodacre takes all
10 wickets against Mobberley. In the Manchester Guardian there is a
reference to polo being played at on the ground.
1938 – After an approach from
Altrincham Cricket Club the following was resolved, “this committee is in
principle opposed to the idea of a League or Association.” Alistair
Carmichael completes 4 successive innings of 50 or more.
1939 – 10 Ashley members
serving with H.M. Forces were made Honorary Members and were given
preference for games when they were on leave. TocH Hockey club rent the
ground for £2 10/- and 7/6 per game.
1943 – The club joined forces
with Bowdon Vale to turn out “an Eleven” and this association continued
until the end of hostilities. V H Howe took 9 wickets in one match.
1946 – One Ashley XI played
this season.
1947 – Sunday cricket played
for the first time. A limit on membership is placed at 45. Prospective
players would have to attend nets and appear before the committee; they
would then be told the likelihood of them gaining a respectable number of
games.
1948 – The club advertises
for a groundsman in the Altrincham & Bowdon Guardian, J K Stockton applies
for the position.
1949 – A Brown
(106 @6.66)
and J N Allott (103 @ 7.64)
both take over 100 wickets in all cricket
1952 – Tea pavilion purchased
from Garswood Tennis Club, who played near Princess Parkway, for £90. J N
Allott took 6 for 0 against Prestbury.
1953 – A catering secretary
was appointed.
1956 – Ashley agreed to join
a proposed Cheshire Cricket Association if and when it was formed.
1957 – Ashley became a
founder member of the Cheshire Cricket Club Conference. Its aim was to
preserve traditional friendly cricket. To placate those wanting league
cricket complete with points a knock out competition with limited overs was
formed to be played in the evening.
1958 – The club declined to
join the Cheshire Cricket Association, organised for competitive cricket.
Ashley hosted a Pakistani Eaglets team that contained, amongst others,
Mushtaq Mohammed.
1960 – A President’s
Match against Urmston was staged mainly as a reunion of past members. An
advert was placed in the Altrincham Guardian inviting applications for
membership. Eloquent appeals to take charge of the emptying of the toilets
fell on deaf ears.
1962 – Calor gas lighting
installed in both pavilions. Our current landlord, Mr Brooks purchased
Tatton Estates. No sale of the ground was possible neither would a long
lease be offered. The sale of intoxicating liquor was also ruled out. We
were assured there was no likelihood of the club losing the ground.
1963 – A junior section was
formed under the guidance of Stuart Naylor and Bert Pendlebury. The club
celebrated its 75th anniversary with a dinner at the Unicorn
Hotel in Altrincham with Mr Cyril Washbrook (Lancashire and England) as the
principle speaker. A Presidents Match was held with two professional league
players, Bob Bartels and Lou Laza and D Millner of Derbyshire County Cricket
Club.
1964 – The Chant Trophy, a
rose bowl donated by Mr Chant for meritorious service to the club
disappeared, as did Mr Chant.
1969 – Mr E A Coupes passed
away and left £2,000 to the club in his will. He would walk from his home in
Sale to watch Ashley when in his seventies. His umpiring abilities were
often called into question and with reluctance he was asked to stand down.
His dignified acceptance of this request came with the remark that his
eyesight not being all together what it was.
1970 – The club joins the
Cheshire Cricket Association.
1973 – A six would now be
awarded if the ball fell in or cleared the gutter. Previously the ball had
to clear the hedge or one of the pavilions.
1974- The Cheshire Cricket
Association decides that games will be played on an overs basis as opposed
to time cricket.
1975 – Outline permission was
received to install a bar. The club won the Cheshire Association knock out
trophy beating Runcorn in the final.
1977 – The committee
instructed all team captains that it was not club policy to run out the
non-striking batsman without warning being given. A bar is installed in the
pavilion.
1978 – The club joins the
Cheshire Cricket League. Under 18’s win Cheshire Cricket League Trophy
defeating High Lane.
1979 – A 28 year lease agreed
with Tatton Estates, enabling the club to approach Macclesfield Council for
a grant to help with the cost of a new pavilion.
1985 – A club tour takes
place to Warwickshire. The club was relegated into Division Two.
1986 – On the 3rd
July the committees of Ashley and Old Alts CC meet to discuss a possible
merger.
1986 – At a meeting held on
25th July the club resolved to amalgamate with Old Altrinchamians
Cricket Club. The position of Chairman was created, Peter Birtles was
elected to the position.
1987 – 3rd XI
re-created and will play in the Cheshire County Cricket League
1989 – 3rd XI
finish as runners-up in the C division of the County League.
1990 – 1st XI
loses only one game and goes through the season without being bowled out;
they are promoted as champions to Division 1. A new pavilion is discussed at
the AGM.
1991 – Club is reprimanded
for fielding only 8 men in the first 2nd XI game of the season.
1992 – An application for
help with the funding of a new pavilion is turned down by the Foundation for
Sport and the Arts.
1994 – 1st XI
relegated to the 2nd Division. One of our 3rd XI
opponents complained to the league that we were fielding ineligible players;
they were later reprimanded for the same offence and they had 77 points
deducted. Grant funding secured for the new pavilion. Steve Tyrrell scores a
then league record 1037 runs, including 5 centuries.
1995 – AGM held in the new
pavilion funded in part with the help of Macclesfield Borough Council. Roger
Arnoll retires (for the 1st time). 2nd XI wins the
knock out competition.
1996 – 2nd XI wins
the league championship. They win 9 of the last 11 games.
1999 – 1st XI
shares the league title with Bollington. Roger Arnoll returns to playing.
2000 – The club tours are
revived; this year the team visits South Wales losing to Ammanford and
beating Dafen.
2003 – The 2nd XI
travelled to Malpas with only 7 players. Ashley hosts a Cheshire Cricket
League representative fixture.
2004 – The 1st XI
is denied promotion to the 2nd Division. The annual tour this
year is to Devon.
2005 – The 1st XI
wins the 3rd Division championship. Ashley is awarded Club of the
Year at the Cheshire Cricket League annual dinner.
2006 – 1st XI
promoted to Division One as runners-up. 2nd XI wins the Twenty20
cup and promotion to Division A as runners-up. Ashley is the 624th
club in the country to receive the Clubmark accreditation.
2007 – The club enters an
Under 9s team into the Cheshire County League (CCCL) and an Under 13s team
into the South Manchester Junior Cricket League (SMJCL); the Under 13s reach
the semi final of the League Cup. The club actively recruits an amateur
overseas player for the first time, Trevor Daly, an opening bowler from
Victoria.
2008 – 4th team
created, which will play in the 4th Division of the CCCL. Another
junior side, at Under 15 level, joins the SMJCL. Matt Wardle tops Under 15
league averages and is highest run scorer in the division. 13 years old Alex
Eaton is highest run scorer in the whole league. The lease for the ground is
renewed and runs until 2037.
2009 – Under 18 and Under 11
sides enter the CCCL and SMJCL. The club achieves Clubmark re-accreditation.
Planning permission sought from the new Cheshire East council for a three
lane practice net and a score-box.
2010 – First junior trophy is
won; an Ashley side made up of Under 9s wins the Sale CC Under 11s
tournament. Three lanes of artificial nets built on the Eastern side of the
ground, total cost is over £42,000, with support from the ECB, Cheshire East
council, the Lord’s Taverners, Cheshire Action Group and the Cheshire
Cricket Board.
