Hartley Wintney, Hampshire

Hampstead Cricket Club, was founded in 1865 and is one of the oldest in the Middlesex Premiership League. Last season their 1st XI was promoted to the premiership and their 2nd XI retained the division II title, while their 3rd XI came fourth in their division. The most recent England representative from Hampstead was Andrew Caddick while the famous England cricketer Albert Stockard still holds the club record of 485 not out from back in the 1870’s.

Quite close to Amersham, Chenies and Latimer is a big ground, surrounded by hedges with a wicket that has a bit of everything in it. Chenies like to play a declaration game, with wins proving elusive for us over the years.

Chenies, Amersham, Hertfordshire

Wiltshire Queries

Harefield

Harefield, Middlesex

www.ukcricket.org/harefield

Hagley is LNZCC’s most stately fixture and should not be missed even as a spectator. In terms of distance it is the furthest the club travels but once arrived you will agree it was worth every mile of motorway. Set directly in front of the magnificent Hagley Hall, this ground was bequeathed to the local Hagley village team by an ancestor of the present Lord Cobham. Cobham is a name that some Kiwis may have heard of, as it was the present Lord Cobham’s father that was a popular Governor General to NZ in the 1950’s. With the Hall, a church and the thatched pavilion providing the backdrop on one side and fields with deer grazing to the other, there can surely be no more idyllic setting in which to play cricket. A revived LNZCC tradition was the infamous Hagley Sprint, which was basically a very short race designed to find the slowest LNZCC member present. Run over a taxing 10-yard course, the holder has the right to challenge any one other member he thinks is less able than he in order to pass on the mantle. This tradition continued in our jubilee season when the nominated member Tony Penman, whilst carrying a hamstring injury, beat the challenger, Richard Fish

During the 50th Season, journalist Gordon Harcourt recorded a video of Hagley and the game which was later broadcast on 'The Holmes Show' in NZ.

Click on the file below to view the full program.

Dialup  / Broadband / Local Lan

Hagley, Near Stourbridge, West Midlands

www.hagleycc.licomnet.com

London Road, Datchet, Berkshire

www.thisiswindsor.com/dcc

Royal Household

Broadhalfpenny Downs, Near Hambledon, Hampshire

www.cricket-hockey.co.uk/clubs/broadhalfpenny

The Wanderers are one of England’s well-known gentleman’s sides, with a long and rich history. Their ranks currently include a few talented kiwis known to us, which often makes this fixture our toughest match

Directions

Esher Cricket Club

New Road

Esher

Surrey

Ripley

Our oldest standing fixture, Ripley, is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world, established 1749. They also claim first use of the middle stump thanks to a disgruntled bowler. Not only a favourite for cricket historians Ripley is a batsmen’s paradise with a true wicket combined with a lightning fast outfield that makes life difficult for the bowlers. In recent years Mike Singleton scored 153 not out and in 2001 Dave Fanning was unbeaten on 149 within our club record innings of 371 for 5. Lunch and tea at Ripley are again superb in their challenging clubrooms. We say challenging as there is an exposed thick wooden beam running across the roof of the bar. The Ripley boys always oblige by providing individuals who appear easily able to swing themselves over the beam and then mock our desperate attempts to respond to the challenge. Long time club member Vance Thompson played for Ripley’s Saturday League side for many years with distinction.

Web Site www.ripleycc.com

Directions

Ripley Green

Ripley

Four Elms

Four Elms is one of the closest fixtures to London. The village derives its name, as you’d expect from four imposing Elm trees. However the 1987 storm accounted for one or more of the trees, which have subsequently been replanted and should be fully matured within the next 200 years. We have a long association with this club and the match is always enjoyable and competitively played on an ‘away swing’ slope.

Directions

Mill Hill

Four Elms

Ventnor, of the Isle of Wight, played their first match at Cowlease in 1843. The club moved to Steephill in 1880 and during the 1890s, won the Isle of Wight league. In the 1920s a number of titled gentry, Lord Linel, Tennyson, Jellicoe, Ebbisham and Maddon, played at the club and a ladies team was formed. In 1931 the great Jack Hobbs guested for Ventor against Shanklin in front of a ‘full house’ at Steephill. In 1993 Ventnor joined the Hampshire League and in 1998 won the division 5 championship. In 2002 the club won promotion to the Southern League and a year later their new academy and clubhouse was opened by Lord MacLaurin. This is a popular and challenging away fixture that combines cricket with a formal meal in the evening.

Web Site Ventnor CC Web Site

Directions

Steephill Rd

Ventnor

Isle of Wight

Oxford Downs

Oxford Downs Cricket Club was founded in 1923 and continues to have several descendents from the original side playing for them. The club enters two sides into the Cherwell league. In 2002 the club bar, kitchen and lounge were burnt down and through a land swap arrangement, a new clubhouse has been built some 100 metres away from the present site. They are a friendly side with a mixture of young and older members in their Sunday side.

Directions

Abingdon Road

Standlake

Goodwood

Glorious Goodwood conjures up images of racing, but alas the fixture is no longer played the day after the races. The earliest recorded game played at Goodwood is 1702 and they hold the oldest set of rules in the world, dated 1727. The ground is situated inside the Duke of Richmond’s immaculate estate in front of the magnificent Goodwood House and as such provides a genteel atmosphere. The lunch is truly superb and we are treated to pizza following the game. Tradition has reciprocal match of the match awards, two bottles of bubbly, voted by the opposing teams. Goodwood is quite close to Chichester, on the coast, and Arundel is also nearby, so a good game to make a weekend of.

Web Site www.goodwood.play-cricket.com

Directions

Goodwood House

Goodwood

West Sussex

HAC

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) located within the City of London is a club steeped in military tradition – they must be, to be able to defend against property developers. A fl at sward of green, dwarfed by office blocks on all sides, the wicket is usually hard and bouncy. Being a Saturday fixture, the opportunity is there for the players to go on and sample the delights of the local bars, spawning more than one club legend. In fact a club member ended up handcuffed to his future wife on one such occasion! Maybe a good game for the bachelors!

Web Site www.hac.uk.com

Directions

HAC

City Road

Always one of the games of the season with plenty of prematch talk from both sides of the Cook Strait.

Directions

Esher Cricket Club

New Road

Esher

Surrey

The Hurlingham Club was established in the mid eighteenth century after nine acres were acquired from the Bishops of London while a further 27 acres were added to their Fulham establishment during the 1830’s. The club was formed “as an agreeable country resort” and since 1867 has hosted through the years the likes of pigeon shooting (until 1905), polo, car rallies, balloon ascents and archery. The cricket field opened in 1951 and was formerly the pony exercise track. The Hurlingham Club has previously invited us to attend their end of season dinner, following the game, which is always a grand affair.

Directions

Hurlingham Club

Ranelagh Gardens

Fulham

A new fixture

Directions

A new fixture

Directions

Wheely Down Road (off A32)

Warnford

Southampton

SO32 3LG