Sandhurst Cricket Club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 History
2 2008 season
3 Club crest
4 Honours
5 Ground
6 Links

[edit] History

The idea for Sandhurst Cricket Club emerged from a friendly match, played between Sandhurst Homebrew and the works team of a local company, SDL, on Thursday, August 16th, 1984. The match was a 20 over affair, and included six players who would go on to be instrumental in the setting up of Sandhurst CC. Batting first, Sandhurst Homebrew managed just 93-8 from their 20 overs. In reply, SDL passed their victory target in the penultimate over for the loss of seven wickets.

It was, in fact, the formation of the Sandhurst Homebrew Circle which led directly to the creation of the cricket club. Both Dave Robinson and Martin Pharo were members of the Homebrew Circle. Robinson also worked for SDL, and his connection there allowed for a ready-made pool of enthusiastic players that convinced all concerned that this was a venture worth pursuing. Later that same year, a call went out from Sandhurst Town Council to try and determine whether the town wanted a cricket club ... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Sandhurst Cricket Club was formally established in 1985, during which they played a handful of friendly matches. Their first full season came the following year, and opened with a home game against West Byfleet on Saturday, May 10th, 1986. It would be another year before the club made its competitive debut in the Berkshire Cricket League. They have shown signs of moving up another level to the Thames Valley Cricket Leaguein recent years.

[edit] 2008 season

Their 1st XI have been regulars in the premier division of the Berkshire Cricket League for many years. The 2nd XI play in division three. The club also fields a team in the Bracknell Evening League and runs junior sides at under-11 and under-9 years of age.

[edit] Club crest

Sopwith the Camel.

Sandhurst's club badge is a camel. The reason for this is that back in 1985, when the club was first established, a logo was sought by the founding members. Among the founders was Billy Thomas, who was able to call upon the help of an ex-university friend, Andrew Christie. Christie was a cartoonist, whose creations included a comic strip entitled "Beau Peep". The strip was set in the Sahara Desert, and had - amongst its characters - a camel called Sopwith.

It was suggested at the time that Sandhurst's cricket pitch resembled a cross between the Somme and the Sahara. Therefore, it was duly decided that - with Christie's consent - Sopwith the Camel would be taken as the club crest. Many people down the years have assumed that the club crest is linked to Sandhurst being home to the Royal Military Academy. That is not the case. The RMA trains officers for the Army, while the Sopwith Camel was a First World War fighter plane used by the RAF.

[edit] Honours

Only two other players have taken more wickets than Aron Shallom in the history of the Berkshire Cricket League.

Berkshire Cricket League

1st XI

First Division winners: 1995
Second Division winners: 1994

2nd XI

Fifth Division runners-up: 2003
2nd XI First Division runners-up: 1997
2nd XI Second Division runners-up: 1995

Bracknell Evening League

Knockout Cup winners: 1998

Individual performances

1990: Aron Shallom - 54 wickets in a season.
1991: Des Sussex - 67 wickets in a season.

This remains a Third Division record.

1991: Berkshire League Bowler of the Year - Des Sussex
1995: Aron Shallom - 50 wickets in a season.
1997: Aron Shallom's 52 wickets in a season were enough to earn him the League's Bowler of the Year award.