Chingford Cricket Club

1936 was to see the ground change considerably with bungalows being erected on the South side of the ground as Faversham Avenue replaced the area that had been Curry’s Nurseries. It is believed that the road was named after the town in Kent.

At the start of the season the General Committee agreed that as an experiment it should be tried for a few weeks of serving 6d teas in the tea pavilion to consist of three pieces of bread and butter, two cakes and a cup of tea.

Results were as follows:

With the ball, in the 2s on 9 May Bill Adamson took 8-62 v Winchmore Hill at Forest Side, but still ended up on the losing side. Meanwhile the leading wicket takers were – no surprise – Jock Harwood (70), Bill Adamson (58) and Don Spencer (50).

In the 3^rd XI game at Highams Park, Chingford were bowled out for 100, but unusually Highams Park Captain CL Vincent took all the wickets, capturing an amazing 10-32.

Len Parslow topped the run aggregate, with 782 runs including 123 v Loughton and 111 v S Dunstone’s XI, while George Chapman tallied 625 runs.

1936 saw the last fixture between Chingford and the Power Petroleum Company, who always provided formidable opposition and this year was no exception as they amassed a massive 347-9 in reply to Chingford’s 132. However even this total was surpassed by South Woodford on August Bank Holiday Monday when having chased Chingford’s 174, they batted on to reach 376-9 by stumps.

Chingford themselves topped the 300 mark in the home match v Epping Forest Golf Club – George Chapman top scoring with 65 in the Club’s total of 305. We also made 307-6 v Wanstead and recorded a 222 run victory over our local rivals – Don Spencer hitting 119 in this game. Finally we also totalled 304-7 v S Dunstone’s XI.

On 24 June, Chingford played Essex Club and Ground, we scored 158 batting first with Fred Cheesewright top scoring with 35 but the County men replied with 264-8, Jock Harwood taking 3-28.

The Benefit Match for Maurice Nichols caused uproar locally with Hon Secretary Harold Simpson compelled to write to the Guardian:

I should be grateful if you would allow me through your columns to offer an apology to all those members of the public who supported the Club by turning out to watch the match last Sunday. My Committee know that the spectators must have been greatly disappointed at not seeing certain of the Essex County players. I can only ask our supporters to accept this assurance of our great regret that they should have been so disappointed. They will realise, I feel certain, that the responsibility does not lie with the Club, and we hope that their disappointment will not prevent them from giving us their support in the future.

As far as the match itself, this is how it was reported:

The match between Chingford and LC Eastman’s XI was played this year for the benefit of MS Nichols, but unfortunately the visitors were not represented by as strong a side as usual, Eastman not being available himself owing to injury, while Nichols was playing in the Scarborough festival and O’Connor was also an absentee. Chingford were also not at full strength, WG Spencer and J Harwood both being on holiday.

Chingford made a disastarous start, FG Cheesewright being caught at the wicket off Ray Smith’s first ball and D Crafer, G Chapman and S Day were all out with only 22 scored. Westerhout batted well for 25, but 7 wickets were down for 62. LF Parslow and SF Bland improved matters by taking the score to 94, when the last 3 wickets fell at the same total.

The visitors also made a very poor start, losing Taylor, Wade and Elgin for 20, but Preffitt and Ray Smith added 76 for the fourth wicket. At this stage a collapse set in, but the Chingford total was passed with 2 wickets in hand, the innings closing at 104 of which R Smith scored 35. NE Westerhout was responsible for half the visitors’ wickets for the cost of only 16 runs.

Don Spencer nearly set an unwanted record when in the Sunday A game v Highams Park at home he recorded figures of 4-115, believed to be the second highest aggregate ever conceded by a Chingford bowler.

Meanwhile in the Sunday Bs Frank Cheesewright captured 8-29 in the away win at Highams Park in August

The question of the ground had arisen again in 1936 and a move to Hawkswood or the Credit Lyonnais Ground in Hatch Lane looked to be the preferred options – although nothing was to come of either.

In the Tennis Section the Cornish Challenge Cup was won by Miss Elsie Mardall (Ladies’ Singles) and Mr ED Tonge (Men’s Singles) and the Petingall-Norbury Trophy (Mixed Doubles) was won by Miss Elsie Mardall and Bill Jeffrey.  The Ladies Doubles was won by Mrs RH Garner and Miss J B Smith, while Mr WR Harper and Bill Jeffrey claimed the Mens Doubles. Tennis Section Captain was Mr Norman Tyrrell.