Highlight of the year was when Doug Insole became the first ever Chingford player to be selected for England when he was picked to play against the West Indies at Nottingham.
Minor County cricket was played at Forest Side for the first time on Wed/Thu 19/20 July 1950, as Essex II defeated Middlesex II by nine wickets.
Subscriptions were £2 per annum with a match fee of 1/- per game.
The General Committee minutes of 27/3/50 read as follows:
After a discussion it was decided that the Club arrange for a blackboard to be put against the fence with the batting order on it
The Guardian covered the big match of the year which was the Sonny Avery Benefit Match:
But for a fighting fourth-wicket stand by Chingford skipper Swinfen and youthful Dowding, the match in which the local Club met A.V.Avery’s XI on Sunday at Forest Side, might well have been over by tea-time. As it was the two batsmen extricated their team from a tricky position, and only some quick runs by the county batsmen resulted in Avery’s team scoring an eighth-wicket victory
A great disappointment to the 1600 people who watched the game was the inability of ex-Chingford batsman and now Essex County skipper Doug Insole to turn out for Avery’s team. He pulled a groin muscle the previous day playing for the County at Ilford. They were consoled however by a faultless century from Farragher of Ilford, and 65 from Avery.
Chingford batted first and were not happy against Essex bowlers Pullinger, Vigar and P.Smith. Three wickets were down with only 35 runs on the board. Then Swinfen and Dowding came together and carried the score to 68 for three at lunch.
After the interval Dowding set about the bowling in confident style. He was scoring freely all around the wicket, and pulled one ball from Ray Smith for six to put up his own 50 and the team’s 100.
Essex opener Spencer came on, in place of R.Smith, in an effort to break the partnership, but Dowding continued to score freely, while Swinfen was steady at the other end. As the partnership yielded 100 – at 135 for 3 – Dowding was caught deep by Ray Smith with his score at 73. He had been at the wicket for 75 minutes.
Mainwaring joined his skipper at the wicket and continued to carry the score along at a good rate. He was bowled by Spencer after making a bright 32. With the score at 197, skipper Swinfen having scored 50 not out, Chingford declared for the loss of five wickets.
Left a little less time than the 3 ¼ hours spent at the wicket by Chingford, the Essex batsmen opened in grand style and Spencer hit four 4s and two 2s before being caught. Avery helped the tea-time total to 45 for one, and afterwards opened his shoulders.
The 100 went up after an hour and soon afterwards Avery reached a chanceless 50. He then proceeded to hit every ball , and was caught for an entertaining 65. Two balls later Farragher reached his 50.
In the hour after tea no fewer than 137 runs were added. Farragher and Dick Horsfall took the score past that of Chingford with over half an hour left for play. Soon afterwards Farragher reached 100.
In the closing minutes of the game P.Smith lost his wicket to a fine catch by Wright, and then Horsfall, who had made 35, went to a magnificent one-handed catch by Crafer. Wade was the last batsman to make the “long walk back” after losing his wicket to another great catch by Crafer.
From the results we have for the year the 1st eleven had a mixed time with 6 wins, 5 draws and 7 defeats, leading run scorer for the Club being Bill Jeffrey and top wicket taker Cyril Kay. Joe Scanlon hit a century v Edmonton.
Other centurions were F Taylor with 106 in the Cricket Week match with Mill Hill, and Len Wright with 100 for the Sunday As v Barnet.
Amongst the bowling honours were Edward Scanlon – 7-25 v Park for the 3rds, Jock Harwood with 7-24 v Woodford Wells for the 2nds and Bunny Swinfen with 7-68 v Old Blues for the Sunday As, which included a hat-trick.
The Sunday As were involved in the lowest scoring game since the war, dismissing Southend for just 46 and replying with 56-6.
Finally I don’t know what the current members would have made of the General Committee’s decision of 27/3/50 which was:
“It was decided not to sell potato crisps at the bar “