Chingford Cricket Club

A Review of the 1907 Season

The Chingford and Sewardstone Directory 1907 has an entry concerning Chingford Cricket Club, which reads as follows:

The Chingford Cricket Club has a membership of nearly 60 honorary and playing members. The private ground of the club is situated at the top of Buxton Road, five minutes walk from Chingford railway station, and matches are played on most Saturday afternoons during the season, when visitors are cordially invited to witness the play. The Officers of the Club are:- Captain: HJ Veal, Connaught Avenue; Vice-captain: W Longden, Endelbury Road; Hon Treasurer HW Smith, 4 Warren Road; Hon. Secretary WT Plume, 2 Queens Grove Road; Committee: AL Barber, HL Gain, R Harwood, E Pite, G Smith, J Verdon, C Viner, FW Warner. Gentlemen desirous of joining should communicate with the Hon. Secretary or any member of the committee.

The same publication also has a reference to local rivals Chingford Excelsior CC, which was a much smaller club with just 30 members and played at Chingford Plain

In the 1 February 1907 edition an article appeared in the Woodford Times:

THE RECTOR AND THE LAMMAS LANDS

The Rev AF Russell presided on Tuesday evening at the Crown Hotel over the first dinner of the Chingford Cricket Club, which proved to be a most successful function. Amongst those present were: Dr Cruickshank, Messrs Walter Fortescue MOC, D Lloyd Howard JP, H Bird OC, G Pisey, PN Holmes,  Mallison, W Pierce-Piper, FW Thom, FW Warner, O Blackmore, H Troughton, HL Gain, E Pite, S Holden, G Smith, HJ Veal (captain), W Longden, J Longden, J Longden jun, Edsall, G Brown, J Verdon, R Harwood, H Woodcock, Shephard, Merritt, H Frank, E Law, BJ Bent, Tweed, Blaxland, H Lemarque, J Heal, Blacklock, Marshall, T Warde, Blasing, Randall, L Frank, WT Plume (hon sec) etc. Letters of apology were received from Mr FG Sinclair, Mr J Clayton, Mr H Smith (treasurer) and Mr JE Quyle (Chairman of the District Council)

Col the Rt Hon Mark Lockwood, MP (President) wrote as follows: “Dear Sir, - I very much regret that I have a long standing engagement, which I am afraid I cannot break. I had hoped that when next I was asked to attend your gathering. I should have been free to do so, as I was very anxious to be present and congratulate the members personally upon the pitch of success to which the club has been brought. Only the most careful “fielding” could have secured this result. I hope you may always be a winning team, not because you are opposing men below your standard, but rather because each man in the Chingford Club has made up his mind that there shall be “no tail””

Mr H Troughton submitted the toast of “Our Local Rulers” which was acknowledged by Mr Pierce- Piper, ex-Chairman of the Chingford Urban District Council.

The Chairman, in proposing “Success to the Chingford Cricket Club”, said the club had only been in existence for a few years but he understood that already much had been done to establish it on a firm footing. The greatest difficulty was the ground, for the present ground was only held on a very short lease. That had always been the difficulty in Chingford. He had belonged to cricket clubs in Chingford before many of them were born, and he knew the difficulty of getting a ground which was level. He remembered at one time they played on the site of the present cemetery, and he had a curious experience of that field. A man hit the ball into the next field, and as he was standing near the boundary, he felt something moving under his foot. On looking down he discovered he had stepped on to a partridge, which was sitting on some eggs. The partridge had remained in the field all through the match until disturbed by himself. Things were changing rapidly in Chingford and amongst other things as they probably knew, the Metropolitan Water Board was paying a sum of compensation for the grazing rights of householders on the marshlands. The sum to be handed over would be a very considerable one, and during the year they would have to settle what was to be done with it. It seemed to him that they ought to obtain land for land (applause) and he saw no reason why if that was done a ground should not be secured on which cricket and football could be played (cheers) If such a scheme could be carried through, the future of cricket in the district would be made brighter than it is now. In conclusion, the Chairman appealed to all residents to co-operate together and make one club which would be worthy of the district.

Mr WT Plume (hon sec), in acknowledging the toast also appealed to all sections to take a part in the club, and pointed out that last year nine matches were won and eleven lost. The club was possessed of considerable assets, and to repeat the words of the Chairman, the present position was “no debt and no funds”. He hoped that all who sought to make Chingford an attractive place to live in would associate themselves with the organisation.

The Chairman then presented Mr W Longden (vice-captain) with a bat for the highest batting average last season.

Mr AL Barber submitted the toast of the “Visitors” and expressed the hope that next year they would be present as members. (applause)

Mr D Lloyd Howard briefly replied, and said he was willing to encourage anything which stimulated a good neighbourly feeling, and he thought an amalgamation of the different cricket clubs into one strong club would tend in that direction ( applause)

Mr H Bird CC whose name was also coupled with the toast, said he believed in encouraging all kinds of manly sport, and he for one would be happy to give any support he could to the club (cheers)

Mr E Pite proposed the health of the Chairman , which was received with musical honours  and briefly acknowledged by the Rector.

Dutring the dinner some gramophone selections (lent by Mr J Longden) were given and after the dinner an excellent musical programme was carried out by Miss Jessie Knight, Miss Lucy Keith Miss E Busostow and Mr Oscar Blackmore.

There was a very wet start to the season with the first three matches being called off and the first match completed on Thrs 16 May

In the May Bank Holiday fixture away at Tottenham, the Chingford bowlers again took a pasting to concede over 200 runs – 207 in fact , but held on for the  draw on 64-3 ! On the August Bank Holiday v Myddleton, RH Harwood had a field day as he took seven wickets and then batted almost all the Chingford innings for an unbeaten 50. Not worrying about giving the others a game, he then took six wickets in the Myddleton second innings!

On a more positive note, the Club gained its first ever victory by over an innings in the match v Metropolitan Electric Tramways Co when Chingford won by an innings and 74 runs after bowling the visitors out for 14 in their first innings – J Serjeant and WG Longden doing the damage with 5 wickets apiece.

Hector Munro had the honour of scoring the first century for Chingford when he hit 105 v Snaresbrook, in a fixture which also saw Chingford top the 200 for the first time. Hector was the Club’s top run scorer with 207 from just 7 appearances, while yet again WG Longden took the bowling honours with 45 wickets. RH Harwood had a good all round season combining 170 runs with 25 wickets.

The occasional 2^nd eleven fixture appeared as membership numbers continued to flourish.

Results in the season from the games we know about were:

In its 20 October edition The Woodford Times reported:

No greater proof of the old adage that “nothing succeeds like success” could be forthcoming than the result of the third concert held on Thursday evening of last week in the Parish Room, in aid of the funds of the Chingford Cricket Club. Founded five years ago with the object if providing a club representative of the whole district, the organisation has steadily grown and with the same careful management should become a permanent institution. The process has been due to the readiness of individual members to take a share in the work, and this year Mr J Longden, sen ,kindly undertook the responsibility for the arrangement of the concert, and succeeded in obtaining the services of several artistes, whose names are household words in the music-loving world. Particularly is the club indebted to Miss Ethel Hook, the talented sister of Madame Clara Butt, who notwithstanding the fact that she was giving a recital at Bechstein Hall two nights later, most generously made the none too pleasant journey under the climatic conditions prevailing on the evening, and delighted the audience with four songs. Although the weather was so unpropituous, the hall was well filled, and it is expected the club will benefit considerably from the concert……. At the close the Rev AF Russell voiced the feelings of the members and visitors by thanking the artistes cordially for their services. Thanks are also due to Mrs Longden, Mrs Warner, Mrs Viner and Mr and Mrs Marshall for their services in decorating the hall. And to Mr JB Riding for the loan of plants. He duties of stewards were undertaken by Messrs AL Barber , W Longden, C Viner, J Marshall, H Frank, AR Steinchen, HJ Veal, LB Hoare, H Smith and R Harwood.

Meanwhile, any jealous eyes the Club had on the Pelham Ground remained as Pelham CC were going from strength to strength themselves, introducing a hockey section for the winter.