Cambridge Cricket Venues

From 1757

Jesus Green
From 1792

Parker's Piece
From 1805

Jesus Close

From 1820

Midsummer Common

1821-30

University private

ground Mill Rd

From 1846

Field behind Town Gaol

From 1848

Fenner's

My Research So Far

So far my research has consisted mostly of trawling local newspapers, consulting the wonderful Cambridgeshire Collection and reading any book that I think may contain relevant information. Some of this has been courtesy of the Cambridge University Library, which also houses the fascinating Cambridge University CC archives.

Cambridgeshire cricket 1700-1848

Pre 18th Century - a first possible reference to cricket in Cambridgeshire:

1616 - Oliver Cromwell went up to Sidney College Cambridge in 1616 where he is said to have "spent much of his time......at foot-ball,cricket and other robust exercises, for his skill and expertise in which he was famous." (From A New and General Biographical Dictionary; containing An Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in every Nation; Particularly the British and Irish […] Vol. III. London. Printed for T. Osborne […] M DCC LXI, quoted in Ian Maun "From Commoms to Lord's"(Roger Heavens 2009) .

18th century

The first clear reference to cricket being played in Cambridgeshire comes from 1710 when a record of a dispute at Trinity College Cambridge mentions the game as one of the student pastimes. Cricket seems to have continued within the university but has not been found in records in the form of organised matches until 1754. By this time the game had been played between the north Cambridgeshire towns of Wisbech and March in 1744 and the rest of the century appears to have seen more obvious development of cricket in the county as a whole than within the university. By the year 1799 cricket had been played in or by teams from March, Wisbech, Cambridge, Royston, Chatteris, Newmarket and Manea.

See the "18th century" page for details of 18th century cricket in Cambridgeshire.

1800-21

Unknown year - Unknown date. "...in the days of Lord Frederick Beauclerk eleven of the County of Hertford defeated 22 picked men from the counties of Cambridge and Bedford on Biggleswade Common."

This match would probably have been played at some time around the year 1800.

1801 - 28th July. Venue unknown. Wisbech v Peterborough. £20 a side. W 107; P 38 & 7; Wisbech won by an innings & 62 runs.

3rd Aug. Thorp Park, nr Peterborough.Sir John Shelley, Bart and John Orby Hunter of Thorp Hall with 9 of Peterborough v Wisbech. Wisbech won.

5th Aug. thorp Park. Sir John Shelley, Bart and John Hunter with 9 of Hertfordshire Militia v Wisbech. W 34 & 83; H M 79 & 38; Match tied. Following a dispute over the score Wisbech gave up the match.

10th Aug. Parker's Piece, Cambridge. Mr Halls, fishmonger v Mr Barron, publican. "...for a considerable sum." 3 runs scored in total; Halls won.

18th Aug. Wisbech. Downham Market v Wisbech. W 32 & 68; D M 110; Downham won by an innings and 7 (10) runs.

22nd Sept. Parker's Piece, Cambridge. Cambridge CC v St Ives. C 25 & 87; S I 11 & 25; Cambridge won by 76 runs.

6th Oct. St Ives. St Ives v Cambridge CC. C 18 &56; S I 55 & 11; Cambridge won by 8 runs.

1802 - 30th June. Parker's Piece, Cambridge. Cambridge CCv Ware. For 50 guineas. No record of match being played.

1803 - 29th June. Venue unknown. 2 of St Ives v 2 of Chatteris. 2 matches for 10 guineas. Won one each.

30th June. Chatteris. Chatteris v Manea. For 50 guineas. Manea won by 7 wkts.

13th July. Manea. Manea v Chatteris. No record of match being played.

1805 - 23rd June. Saffron Walden. Saffron Walden v Cambridge CC. SW 85 & 39; C 197 & 19 for 5 wkts; Cambridge won by 5 wkts.

30th Aug. Cambridge. Cambridge CCv Saffron Walden. C 38 & 39; SW 11 & 24; Cambridge won by 42 runs.

13th Sept. Jesus Close, Cambridge. 1 member of Cambridge CC v 6 0f the town. CCC won by 1 run.

1806 - 26th July-20th Sept. A sequence of letters between the cricket clubs of Hitchin, St Ives and Cambridge. At first Hitchin accused St Ives of reneging on an agreement to play each other, Hitchin being allowed 2 borrowed men. As an alternative they challenged Cambridge. St Ives denied allowing Hitchin to have 2 borrowed men saying such an arrangement would be unfair. Hitchin then denied knowledge of their first letter but agreed to honour the challenge to Cambridge. Are you following so far?

27th Aug. Royston Heath. Hitchin (with 1 borrowed man) v Cambridge CC. Hitchin won by 9 wkts.

Cambridge then complained that, having been allowed a given man against Cambridge, Hitchin had subsequently agreed to play St Ives on equal terms. Cambridge challenged Hitchin to an equal terms match. Hitchin agreed, at the same time complaining that Cambridge had been given the option to use 2 borrowed men themselves but had declined, but anyway since Hitchin had won the match easily without much of a contribution fron their borrowed man "very little doubt can remain upon the subject."

1807 - 10th Aug. Royston Heath. Hitchin v Cambridge CC. Hitchin won by 3 wkts. "...a grand match for 100 guineas."

31st Aug or 7th Sept. Mildenhall. Mildenhall v Newmarket. Mildenhall 107 in 2 innings; Newmarket 92 & 16 for no wkt. Newmarket won by 10 wkts.

1st Sept . Newmarket Heath. "2 gentlemen of the Cricket Society of Mildenhall [v 2 from]the Society of Newmarket." "...for a considerable sum." Newmarket 21 & 21; Mildenhall 2 & 5. Newmarket won by 35 runs.

6th October. Newmarket. Newmarket v Mildenhall return. Cancelled the day before. "In consequence of which two Innkeepers having provided sumptiously for their entertainment were, by dire necessity, compelled to distribute their luxuries amongst the poor of the parish."

1808 - 25th July. Saffron Walden. 11"gentlemen of Saffron Walden" v11 "of the Cambridge Volunteers." Cambridge volunteers won by 2 wkts.

4th Sept. Thetford. Thetford CC v Newmarket CC. Thetford won by 50 "notches".

11th Sept. Newmarket. Newmarket CC vBury St Edmunds CC. Bury won.

21st Sept. Bury St Edmunds. Bury St Edmunds CC v Newmarket return. Bury won.

1800-12

Wisbech, Cambridge, Chatteris, Manea, Royston, Newmarket, Thorney and March all played in the first ten years or so of the new century.

1812-17

In the first twenty years of the 19th century the Cambridge Cricket Club dominated Cambridgeshire cricket as well as much of East Anglia, defeating St Ives, Saffron Walden, Royston, Biggleswade and Bishop Stortford.

1813 - An advertised match between Cambridgeshire and Kent is the second mention of a Cambridgeshire side but looks much more like a single-wicket match than a full 11-a-side match.

1815 - Several well documented single-wicket matches in Chatteris.

1816 - Rest of CU v Kings College - first record of a CU match since 1755.

1817 - CU defeated CCC in the first Town v Gown match. The annual Town v Gown match was played with only a few breaks through to 1861.

1817-21

CCC had a less consistant run of results against the likes of Holt of Norfolk, Biggleswade, Newmarket, Cambridge University, Peterborough, and Bury St Edmunds. Matches had stakes as high as £100, considerable press coverage and a festival atmosphere.

1820 - W Martin scored 111 for CCC v CU.

1816-21 - Cambridge players from this period included Bell, W & H Bird, George Fenner, W Martin, Medlicot, H J & M Page, D & J Scott & J H Dark. Newmarket players included W Chiffney, Hilton, Sankey, Tilbrook, J & W Weatherby. Several of these had horseracing connections.

1821-30 - The Cambridge University CC moved from Parker's Piece to open a new ground off Mill Rd in the bulk of what is now Mill Road Cemetery.

1821 - by now cricket had been played by teams or individuals representing Wisbech, Cambridge, Chatteris, Manea, Newmarket, Thorney, Royston, March, Newton, Leverington, Murrow, Parson Drove, Bentwick, Doddington, Ickleton, Kingston,Wimbington, Sutton, Emneth, Ely, Bassingbourn, Tholomas Drove, Wisbech St Mary's, Bottisham and Fulbourn.

1822-37

In the 1820's cricket in the county was fighting to revive itself. In Cambridge this took the form of the pub clubs and the university which between them successfully re-established a tradition of competitive cricket. The progress of the pub clubs led to the Cambridge town teams of 1830-37. Alongside Cambridge teams elsewhere in the county, such as March and Chatteris grew stronger, Chatteris briefly challenging Cambridge as a centre for Cambridgeshire cricket.

1823 - Fuller Pilch played on Parker's Piece in Cambridge for Bury St Edmunds against Biggleswade. The latter complained about this hitherto unknown (to them) player being included as a bowler and he was apparently prevented from bowling in that match.

1826 - The CCC played its last match having only played the odd match per season over the previous few years.

1828 - by 1828 the CCC had been replaced by the Union, Castle, Fountain and Hoop clubs which were all based at Cambridge pubs.

1824-36 - The pub clubs followed in the CCC's footsteps by playing old opponents such as Saffron Walden, Biggleswade and Newmarket and trod new ground by taking on such teams as Swaffham of Norfolk, Chatteris, March and Islington Albion.

1832 - A Cambridgeshire side including players from Cambridge and Chatteris, Sir St Vincent Cotton, playboy and MCC member, from Madingley and given players Fuller Pilch and William Caldecourt defeated the MCC twice. A Cambridge Town side, including Pilch and Caldecourt, defeated the same opponents. These victories were in large part thanks to the performances of Fuller Pilsh who scored: 50 and 41 not out in the first Cambridgeshire match, as well as taking 5 wickets and a catch; 28 and 6 wickets in the 2nd match; and 18 and 2 notout with 5 wickets and a catch for the Town side.

1834 - A similar Cambridgeshire side, but without Pilch and Caldecourt, was beaten easily by a Nottinghamshire side.

1835 - Single wicket match on Parker's Piece. Charles Parnther, Wm Caldecourt and Samuel Redgate v Frank Fenner, Saunders and Fuller Pilch. The former team won by 25 runs.

- Dan Hayward senior and West scored 112 and 105 for Chatteris v St Ives.

1822-37 - Cambridgeshire based players from this period included John Boning, John Crouch, Davies, David Bush Edwards, F P Fenner, J & W Hall, and Sussums from Cambridge and Dan Hayward, West Fryer and Glasscock from Chatteris.

1837 - Cambridge Town Club (CTC) formed to formalise the Cambridge town team which had represented the town since 1830.

1838-43

Cambridge again took the lead through the town team that evolved first into the Cambridge Town Club and then the Cambridge Town and County Club in 1844.

1838 - 43 - First of 4 joint Town and University sides which played MCC during a period of close co-operation between the two clubs. The Cambridge Town Club had some success but did not play many matches.

1844-48

1844 - Cambridge Town and County Club (CT&CC) formed in order to improve the administration and performances of the CTC. This was not a county club but certainly had ambitions to be so.

1844 - Charles Pryor scored 103 for CT&CC v CU.

1844-7 - the Cambridge Town and County Club was phenomenally successful for four years playing 26 matches and winning 19, including matches against Norfolk, the Auberies, Gravesend, MCC and Gentlemen of England among their defeated opponents.

1844-47 - players for CT&CC included Charles Arnold, Fred Bell, John Boning, Henry Cornwell, Alfred "Ducky" Diver, F P Fenner, Israel Haggis, Dan Hayward, RT King, OC Pell, Charles Pryor, Robert Ringwood, and Thomas Snow. FP Fenner was the club's major all-rounder, Captain and Secretary.

1846 - Earl of Stanford and Lord Burghley opened a private ground behind Cambridge Town Gaol. One of the matches played on this ground was an early match of I Zingari.

1848 - By 1848 the Cambridge University club was also reasonably strong and some of its members asked Fenner to develop a private ground. F P Fenner extended the private ground, combining two adjacent fields. This became Fenner's Cricket ground the home of the CU Cricket Club.

1848 - The CT&CC refused Fenner's offer to play on his ground and folded without playing another match.

1822-48 - During this period cricket was played for the first time in or by Little Abbington, Walton & Walsoken, Bourn, Long Stowe, Duxford, Linton, Chesterton, Whittlesey, Caxton, Elm, French Drove, Fordham, Ashley, West Wratting, Borough Green, Balsham, Soham, Sawston, Comberton, Haslingfield, Barrington, Melbourne, Willingham, Swaffham, Parson Drove, Haddenham, Chippenham, Kirtling, Granchester, Over, Shepreth, Littlington, Swavesey, Foxton, Fowlmere, Harston, Thriplow, Elsworth, Toft, Cheveley, Guilden Morden and Hinxton.

N B - A fuller account of the period 1822-48 should appear in my next book, details of which will be placed on this website.

1848 onwards

- from 1848 on the University Club had principal if not sole use of Fenner's ground which was at least one factor in its gradual rise to first-class status.

- whilst cricket continued in Cambridge town, university and county it was not until 1857 that what has usually been seen as Cambridgeshire Cricket's peak period began in the form of a highly successful county side.

- in fact there was not one Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club during the period 1857-71 but several different bodies, some formal clubs such as the two Cambridge County Clubs and Cambridge Town Club and some not. County matches across this period were arranged when they could be afforded and a team could be got together. Despite success on the field against the likeof Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Yorkshire this was not a stable time for Cambridgeshire county cricket.

- The make-up of the sides varied a little but especially in the early and mid-sixties it was dominated by Cambridge town players such as Robert Carpenter, Tom Hayward, Alfred Diver, Fred Bell, Billy Buttress and George Tarrant. On several occasions the whole side was made up of Cambridge players.

- the last of these matches was in 1871 and from then on there appears to have been little chance of a Cambridgeshire CCC forming.

- The next county club was formed in 1891 and joined the Minor Counties Championship.

George Arber

Thanks to Nick Arber I have researched a little about the beginnings of the cricketing career of Cambridge born George Arber. Born 1840/41, he appeared very rarely in newspaper reports before 1867, and appeared in a North v South colts match at Lord's at the age of about 28 years. Local newspaper reaction was enthusiastic, anticipating an auspicious career for George in Cambridgeshire cricket. Unfortunately his timing was appalling as by 1869 Cambridgeshire representative cricket was approaching a 20 year period of inactivity. This reinforces my impression that the break in momentum of Cambridgeshire cricket through the 1850's brought an end to the process by which cricketing enthusiasm and skills was passed on from one generation to the next. Fortunately for George Arber he made the sensible decision to take up the position of professional cricket coach at Malvern College and proceeded to do pretty well for himself and his family, whereas cricketers who stayed in Cambridge had very little opportunity to ply their trade.

George Arber