Eastcote CC

It is probable that Eastcote men have been playing cricket in the old Eastcote meadows for at least a hundred years in the long June evenings. Straight from work they came without wasting much time on tea and a wash.

Eastcote v Harefield 15 August, 1865
Hanging in the fine modern pavilion in the Haydon Hall ground is a photostat copy of a page from the Harefield Club's scorebook certifying that the village had a team in 1865. The exact date of the match was Tuesday, 15th August.

As far as one can decipher the score sheets were as follows:-

It is evident from this record that Eastcote could put an eleven in the field in the 1860's. Whether there was an organised club as we understand it we cannot be sure. It is obvious, too, that they played cricket in Eastcote without a break from the 1860's until the present day except during the 1939-1945 war which was much too critical a time.

An Institute XI

In the1890's there was an Institute Cricket Club as well as an Eastcote Club. Mr Charles Moore has told me that in one season there was a keener rivalry than ever between the two elevens and the Institute carried off all the honours until in one match Charlie made the first of his centuries against them and Eastcote triumphed.

There is a note in the Parish Magazine about the Institute cricket in 1894. The report stated that various cricket matches had been played during the summer, the most successful being when an Institute XI went to Ottershaw Park, Chertsey, where they were liberally entertained by Mr Laurence Baker (who had moved from Haydon Hall) after gaining a well earned victory in the field against the Park Club.

Mr R Moore (father of Charles) was the Secretary and reported seven matches, four won, two lost and one drawn. Charlie Moore evidently was playing for the Institute in that season for he headed the batting averages with an average of fifteen for seven innings. Also he took twenty wickets in five innings. G Hawkins took twenty in seven innings. W Bugden had an average of ten runs for four innings.

By courtesy of Mr D Norris, who was secretary for many years, I was able to make a study of the score books for the years 1903 to 1910, a period when the Club played cricket of a high standard in the beautiful grounds of Haydon Hall, a typical village cricket ground loaned rent free by Mrs Edwards. From these records I made the following list of regular players: A Bedford (81 games), W Bentley (53), A Cartledge (97), G Ellement (151), E J Edwards (46), F Gregory (60), C R Moore (152), E Mount (36), A Nash (94), S Nash (102), A Petley (48), L Tobutt (90), A Wright (116).

Charlie Moore and Alf Nash are the only two surviving members (JAN.1963) as far as I know, Charlie, who still lives in Joel Street, helped me to identify these players. A Bedford was assistant kennel man at Haydon Hall. W Bentley was a bank manager and afterwards captained West Herts C.C. A Cartledge was head kennel man at the Hall. E J Edwards was the son of Mrs Edwards. Fred Gregory was a member of the footballing family of Pinner. E Mount was head gardener at the Hall. A Nash was engaged in the timber trade and was born at Haydon Hall Farm. S Nash, brother of Alf. Was landlord of The Starling. A Petley was a carpenter, son of a Pinner grocer. L Tobutt, of Southill Farm, afterwards played in Lancashire League cricket. A Wright, who lived in Haydon Hall Cottage, was captain of the Club from 1887 to 1905, when he was presented with an electroplated teapot by his clubmates on his retirement from the captaincy. In 1901 and 1902 he won the cup presented by Mr E J Edwards for the highest batting average.

Five Wickets in an Over
By courtesy of his daughter, Joy (Mrs Honour), I am able to quote from a contemporary press report of a match, played in 1908 against Chorley Wood. In this match Mr Wright took 8 wickets for 18 runs. One over delivered by him was sensational, five men being clean bowled, two with the first two deliveries and three with the last three balls, the last ball smashing the middle stump.

We went down to Chorley Wood on a Saturday afternoon last summer (1962) when a match was in progress on the Common to try and check the date of the above match and found two interesting old Chorley Wood cricketers who played on that memorable occasion &endash; H Darvell (of a firm of builders) and Ben White, both nonagenarians.

One Hundred and thirty-four names are recorded as casual players in the books from 1903 to 1910. The 1910 book does not record a complete season.

Of these men the following played in a few more matches than the rest: H Abercrombie (17 games), auctioneer's son. M Hawkins (49), from Harrow. C Stone (22), from Pinner. J E Butterfield (25), an actor, from Pinner. H Brett (40), a gardener. G H Veray (14), independent.

Other well remembered names occur: C Joel played 12 times, 1903-4, and J Joel 15 times. J Husbands, 16 times, 1903-5. Captain Yarde-Buller played once in 1908, when he lived at Mistletoe Farm. Major d'Aeth played in 12 matches from 1903 to 1910, when he occupied Eastcote Grange. E Wiles, of Joel Street Farm, played in 14 matches from 1903 to 1907.

These are the chief opponent clubs during 1903 to 1910:- Bushey, Bushey Heath, New Bushey, Chesham, Croxley, Chorley Wood, Rickmansworth, Amersham, Pinner Village, Watford, Kodak, Ickenham, Northwood, Eastcote Institute, South Ealing, Ealing St Johns, Neasden, Sudbury, Wembley Park, St Johns Wood, Westbourne Park, Leavesdon, Roxeth Institute, Ealing Police, Harlesden Police, Herne Hill, Harrow Weald, and elevens like F Deer's XI, E J Evelyn's XI, H W Higgins' XI, Mouchers (Harrow), E J Edwards' XI, and Quadrant.

Memorable Games

During this period Eastcote was honoured by visits from outstanding cricketers who played for their counties and for famous amateur clubs like the Cross Arrows. Here is the record of a notable game played at Haydon Hall in July 1904 no date to it, but the previous score sheet was dated July 9th). In this match, in spite of Jessop's century, Eastcote won by 182 to 152.

Here are the scores of another memorable match played between Mr Evelyn's XI and Mr Edwards' XI on Haydon Hall ground, September 18th, 1906:

Mr Moore has told me that he started playing for Eastcote when he was 16 and, though he became a successful slow bowler for Northwood as well as Eastcote, he did not bowl at first until on one occasion &endash; as often happens &endash; he was put on to bowl and took several wickets. He won the trophy for bowling for several years and holds a cup presented by Mr E J Edwards for the highest batting average. It seems that by about 1910 the regular eleven that had played such first-class cricket had disintegrated. Gradually the players left Eastcote and by degrees a new club altogether was formed. Charlie Moore himself had played for Northwood several times before he finally joined that club on moving to Northwood about 1911.

To refer to fixture cards lent me by Mr D Norris, one for 1895 prints eight matches against Ickenham, Harefield, Bayswater and Pinner; six of these games started in the morning and were played in Field End, a field owned by Mrs Lawrence behind Field End House Farm.

Eastcote Institute C.C.

The next one has something to say of the history of the Club25 years on when the Club was called Eastcote Institute C.C. and they played in the grounds of the Hall. The President naturally was Mr E J Edwards.

The Committee consisted of :

Mr R Allday (of Parkwood Cottage, Fore Street)

Mr J Bayley (The Orchard, Cheney Street)

Mr J Coombes (Eastcote Lodge Cottage)

Mr G Ellement (Catlins Lane)

Mr A Honour (Avondale, Fore Street)

Mr E Tapping (High Road).

The Secretary: Mr H Honou

Treasurer: Mr C Benson (The Post Office, Eastcote)

Captain: A Wright (Haydon Hall Cottage)

It contains a list of patrons:

Sir J Anderson (Pinner Place)

Col. Warrender (High Grove)

Major Illingworth (The Barns, Field End)

Mr E T Brown (The Cottage, Eastcote Village)

Mr A R de Lissa (Mistletoe Farm)

Mr Dore (Eastcote Point)

Mr K Goschen (Sigers )

Mr Gregory (Litcombe, Catlins Lane)

Mr Hall (Field End)

Mr Jeffery (Orchard Cottage)

Mr Lacey-Smith (Spring Cottage, High Road)

Mr Lee, Mr W McClellan (Newestead, Fore Street)

Mr P Matthews (The Retreat, Field End)

Mr G Philip (Horn End, Cheney Street)

Mr Robinson (South Hill, Eastcote)

Mr Stevens

Mr Stanfield

Mr Tarry (The Grange)

Mr Webber (Park Farm)

Mrs Vivian (Field End House).

There were twenty fixtures from 15th May to 25th September. Matches with their neighbours included Harrow Weald, Ruislip Manor, Northwood, Watford, Ruislip, and I think it must have been Mr George Ellement who secured fixtures with Euston (L and NW) Police and the Railway Clearing House. Eastcote and Ruislip Manor C.C.

By 1922 the Club was named Eastcote and Ruislip Manor C.C. There were two elevens. Messrs Nichols and Wynn were Captains of the First XI and Messrs Aldrige and Dalton led the Second. Mr C Benson, of Ash Tree Cottage, was still the Treasurer, but there were two Secretaries, Messrs Whittingham, of New Cottage, Eastcote, and Wootton of Ruislip.

The President was again Mr E Edwards, and Patrons and Vice-Presidents included some new names:

Mrs Bennett Edwards

Mrs E Edwards

Mr E T Brown (The Cottage, Eastcote Village)

Mr J Buckland (The Black Horse)

Mr B J Hall (Field End)

Mr W Jackson

Mr C W Selway

Mr C H M Toy

Mr J Marshall (The Grange, Eastcote)

Mr E J Simpson

Mr C Mason

Mr H E H Prowting

Mr J Sims

Mr Hilary Edwards.

A list of members is included. These forty-one lived in Eastcote:

C Benson (Ash Tree Cottage)

J Buckland (Black Horse)

H Dalton (34 Coteford Close)

E Edwards (Haydon all)

Mrs Bennett Edwards (Haydon Hall)

Mrs E Edwards (Haydon Hall)

Mr H Edwards (Haydon Hall)

G Ellement (Catlins Lane)

G Golding (Myrtle Farm)

H Golding (Myrtle Farm)

K Golding (Myrtle Farm)

K Goschen (Sigers)

B T Hall (Field End)

J Hinman (Chenies Street)

H J Honour (Avondale)

Major Illingworth (The Gables)

H Jinks (Haydon Hall)

W Lee (Sunnyside)

C W Lee (Sunnyside)

J Marshall (The Grange)

A W McLellan (Devonshire Lodge)

T W Mills (The Rosery)

L Mills (The Rosery)

S Mills (The Rosery)

A Nash (The Woodman)

H J Nichols (The Case Is Altered)

H J Read (New Cottages)

E K Robinson (South Hill)

E J Simpson ("Weechwood")

W Simpson (Chenies Street)

J Stanfield (Field End)

F Strong (High Grove Lodge)

D Lacey-Smith (Spring Cottage)

F C Sudbury (Field End)

F Tapping (High Road)

A Tapping (Wheatsheaf)

J Telling (Homeleigh)

A Wright (Haydon Hall)

A N Wright (Haydon Hall)

W Whittingham (New Cottages)

E Wiles (Joel Street Farm)

Twenty-eight others came from Ruislip, Northwood, Harrow, and places further afield. The first eleven had two fixtures with the M.C.C. (Cross Arrows) in September, one at Lords and one at Eastcote.

Other first eleven games were with such sides as Ickenham, Old Elizabethans, Maidenhead, Harrow Town, Harrow St Marys, Wembley, and St Marylebone Borough Officers.

Affiliation to Cricket Club Conference

In 1934 the Club affiliated to the Cricket Club Conference and the subscription was as low as 7/6d. Membership increased so satisfactorily that the list was closed by 1937, and by 1945 the subscription was raised to ?1.

In 1935 the "Case" pavilion was used, and by 1938 the erection of a pavilion on the ground was planned, and a cricket tour proposed in 1939.

The 1936 and 1938 fixture cards show Saturday and Sunday games from 9th May to 20th September, thanks to messrs A M Conybeare, G Ellement, Stearne, Swain and J C Jacques.

The war over, a full fixture list of Saturday and Sunday games was arranged for 1945, two important fixtures being with London Counties C.C. June 7th, and Queens Park Rangers in September.

There were two elevens playing Saturdays and Sundays in 1946, and already among the full list of fixtures were important matches like J Hulme's County XI on Sunday, 16th June, Royal Household at Windsor on 24th August, and Queens Park Rangers on 11th August. Substantial sums were being given to hospitals as a result of collections at these matches. On 15th June, 1947, there was a charity match in aid of Ruislip-Northwood War Memorial Homes when a Middlesex County team, including Compton and Edrich, played Eastcote.

George Ellement: Fifty Years' Service

In September 1947, honour was offered to Mr George Ellement, who for fifty years had worked and played faithfully for the Club since the time when it was a village cricket club.  Now Eastcote had developed and expanded enormously and the cricket club had advanced in harmony.  Before the ned of the next year George Ellement, a great cricketer and a great friend of Eastcote village, passed on.