REPORTS
OF THE FIRST TWO SEASONS OF EVERTON CRICKET CLUB
1882
EVERTON.
A cricket Club has been formed for this place under favourable conditions.
Subscriptions have been given by Mr Astell, Rev. Mr Shaw, Mr Pallister and
others. A field has been lent by Mr
Parker Danes, who
has been appointed Captain
of the club, Mr J. Walker and Mr J. Brashier agreeing to
share the duties of secretary and treasurer. The Rev. H. Shaw is president, and
the newly appointed committee have framed useful rules. A preliminary match,
between the married and the single, was played in Woodbury Park, on Thursday
week, when the latter were victorious by 10 wickets; the married scored 50 and
12 and the singles 60 in one innings.
Beds. Mercury Saturday 24th
April 1882
EVERTON. The return and
final match of the season was played between Sandy and Everton on Thursday this
week in Mr Danes‘ Meadow at Everton. Each side was supported by a professional
county player - Sandy by Hutchins
and Everton by Kidman.
The game was somewhat remarkable. Evereton went in first,
but, mainly owing to the excellent bowling of Hutchins, were easily disposed of
for 26. Sandy thought they had an easy job; but to their surprise, every
man, with the exception
of one run out, was clean bowled, either by Mr Lunnis or Kidman for 12
runs. Of these Mr F.S. Richardson made 8. In the 2nd innings Everton put
together 44, thus leaving Sandy 59 to get and only about half an hour left for
play. However, when the time was called, Sandy had made 44 with only one wicket
down so that the draw was in favour of Sandy. Subsequently the players dined
together at Host Gold‘s.
Beds. Mercury Saturday 14th
October 1882
1883
THE FEAST.
The feast took place last Thursday week, the principal attraction being a
cricket match between Everton Cricket Club and Potton Standard, which resulted
in an easy victory for the home team. Mr. C.
Crawley‘s bowling proved very
disastrous to the Pottonians. At the close of the match
the clubs partook of meat tea together. The Potton club is very young, though
Mr Storr is doing good work in gathering together a team for practice. The
return match is expected to be played shortly at Potton.
Beds. Mercury Saturday 26th
May 1883
CRICKET. An interesting game of cricket was played in
Woodbury Park on Wednesday, it being the return match between Everton and Gamlingay.
The players were favoured by exceptionally fine weather, and the game was
witnessed by a large number of neighbouring gentry, among whom were Mr and Mrs
Astell, the Misses Astell, Mr Pearson, Miss E. Pearson, Mr and Mrs Haddow and
others. The Everton eleven had the assistance of Mr F.M Haddow, a Middlesex
County gentleman and the guest of Mr Astell. Gamlingay won the toss and went in
first, and were quickly disposed of for 30.
Everton followed and scored 59.
Mr S. Crawley made 28 and Mr Haddow 14. Gamlingay in their second
attempt scored 43. Mr Tibbet made 14 and Mr Whitett 12. Then the home team only
wanted 15 to win. The feat, however, was not accomplished until 3 wickets had
fallen, among which Mr Haddow was one. He was clean bowled 2nd ball by the Rev.
R. Rogers. The bowling for Everton by Messrs. Mead and Crawley was good and the
former took 8 wickets in the second innings. Mr Astell had an excellent tea
provided, to which the players were invited.
Beds. Mercury Saturday 15th
September 1883
CRICKET. The club brought
this season to a close on Thursday week with a match and supper. The match was of somewhat a novel character;
quite half the members of the club are left-handed and the match was arranged
left-hand versus right-hand. The rain somewhat marred the play, but each side
managed to complete an innings, and the game ended in favour of the right-hand
men. In the evening the players and honourable members sat down to a capital
spread provided by Mr Clarke of the Thornton Arms, the chair being taken by the
president, Rev. T. H. Shaw. The usual loyal toasts, the Everton Cricket
Club, the secretary, the treasurer, honourable members, the chairman and host
were proposed. During the season the club has played 6 matches, won 3, drawn 2,
lost 1. A bat is to be presented to the
captain, Mr S. Crawley, for obtaining the highest average of runs and a bat to
Mr Geo. Wagstaff, who twice during the season has done the “hat-trick“ in
bowling. Some capital songs by Messrs. Brashier, Hackle, Wagstaff, Giles and
Thompson brought a pleasant evening to a close.
Beds. Mercury Saturday 17th October 1883
In 1913 George Webb presented
a cricket bat by Henry Preedy, the estate manager and captain of the cricket
team, but he was called up and never used it so it was given to Ted Smith. Ted
Smith has photo of Everton Cricket Club in 1923.
In one game against the Allen
Works in Bedford Henry Preedy, the captain had an innings of 3 hours 5 minutes.
Allen Works needed 180 runs in 50 minutes to win the cup. (??? check with Ted
Smith)
Dickie Dodds, an Essex
cricketer, lived in Valley Farm and was the local churchwarden. In 1992 he
helped organise the Berridge Bicentenary cricket match between a team from the
village and Clare College. 18th century rules were followed that
included underarm bowling. Players dressed in 18th century clothing
but Everton lost.