Established in 1855, the Warrandyte Cricket Club is located in the eastern suburbs of Victoria, Australia, and is the 3rd oldest active cricket club in the state. Social games were played at the Recreation Reserve in Andersons Creek (now Warrandyte) against neighbouring suburbs until the club entered the Cameron Cricket Association, playing its first game in competition on 11 November 1905 against Christmas Hills. Season 2010/11 was the club's 100th in competition (taking into account war periods and club disputes), and during that time over 1,300 people have played in either juniors, seniors, women's or veterans grades. The club currently competes in the Ringwood and District Cricket Association (RDCA)
History Cricket on the goldfields (1855 – 1904)
In February 1855, 4 years after gold was first discovered in the town, the noted early Victorian politician William Westgarth paid a visit to Warrandyte, or Anderson's Creek as the town was then frequently called. He described the village as a small mining camp stretched along about a mile of the riverbank. The number of miners did not exceed two hundred in all. A punt was established across this river, a Post Office was established, a Mining Warden was appointed, and the Lands Department has also got a map surveyed by Clement Hodgkinson which shows a ground used for cricket on the present site of the Recreation Ground.
A number of pioneers of Warrandyte took a keen interest in cricket, but two in particular, Walter Charles Brackenbury and William Collins, stand out as founders of the game in Warrandyte. The earliest found match documentation was from 9 January 1864, when Bells Life in Victoria printed the complete scores of a match between Andersons Creek and Caledonia (now St Andrews), and many noted early residents took part including James Masterton, who got five wickets in each innings. Masterton owned a rich mining claim almost opposite the Old Catholic Church in Brackenbury Street. In 1856 he caused quite a stir in the Melbourne Argus when he found 12oz. of gold in a tub of quartz. Others who took part were the Squires brothers who ran the Grocers Shop in the Main Street for 40 years, which it is now the Foodlands Store, Stiggants the pioneer orchardist on Pound Road, while Ewen Hugh Cameron who later represented the district in Parliament for 40 years took two wickets for Caledonia. Anderson's Creek won a brilliant victory scoring 114 to their opponents 26 and 36.
On 15 June 1864, the club applied to the Government for a permanent recreation ground. Their petition was presented by the then Mining Warden Charles Warburton Carr, and the club was granted permissive occupancy, but this was not very suitable as they were worried that the ground might be used for building purposes, and a second petition was presented on behalf of the club by Mr. W.Watkins M.L.A. in 1866.
A permanent recreation ground was then gazetted and the first trustees were appointed on 10 September 1866. They were Dr. John Elmes, Walter Pretty, William Collins, Arthur Liddlelow and Thomas Porteus. William Collins, who was a landscape gardener offered to give his services to beautify the ground, and in the early 1870s the club had a somewhat ambitious scheme to build a pavilion, fence and level the ground, and also build a bowling green. They applied to the Government for 150 Pounds towards the cost, but they got no more than a letter of acknowledgement.
During 1875 and 1876, the Trustees spent the sum of 7 Pounds 3 Shillings and 9 Pence on fencing and other improvements to the ground, but there is nothing to suggest that anything in the line of a permanent pavilion had been erected.
The finding of good Gold in the Mines could sometimes cause the club to renege on their obligations. On one occasion in the 1890s, a party of gentlemen from the Croydon Club came riding into town and claimed that they had arranged a match against the Warrandyte Club and there was no one to play them. They rode off in a huff. The Warrandyte Club apologised to them in the local press, but they never came back until 1910.Cricket by the riverside by Louis R. Cranfield.
During the 1880s and 1890s, regular games were played against Kangaroo Ground, Ringwood, Yarra Flats, Eltham, Lilydale, with visits from the West End Brewery from Melbourne.
Many players mentioned in newspaper reports played a major part of forming the community in Warrandyte, and have has streets named after them like John Till, Edward Kruse, R.Mahoney, Henry Stiggants & John Speers, to name a few.
The Cameron Cricket Association (1905 – 1907)
At a public sports meeting on Saturday 14 October 1905 a club committee was formed, consisting of E.H.Cameron as president, Edwards Kruse as Secretary, and George Quick as treasurer. It was also put forward that the club join the Cameron Trophy Association, which comprised local clubs Christmas Hills, Kangaroo Ground, Caledonia & Panton Hill.
A month later on Saturday 18 November heralded the day the club played its first competitive cricket match, as they took on Christmas Hills at the Warrandyte Reserve. C.Sanford topped scored with 16, leading the team to a total of just 31, then captain John Till destroyed the opposition for just 21 runs, taking 6 for 5 in the process. Warrandyte fared better in their 2nd innings making 66, but Christmas Hills turned the tables the following week, and passed the target of 80 for the loss of 6 wickets.
Warrandyte would claim their first win the following game at Kangaroo Ground, with John Till again the star, top scoring with 45 and taking 9 wickets, including 5 in the opposition total of just 9 in the 2nd innings.
Till would show a liking to Kangaroo Ground's bowling in their return clash in round 7 at Warrandyte Reserve, scoring the club's first ever century, and the team finished their first season with 4 wins and 4 losses, narrowly losing the semi-final.
Warrandyte would go through the following season undefeated, winning most of their games by an innings. But without finals, the premiership decider would revert to the completion of an abandoned game in round 1 against new team Yarra Glen. The game resumed after the season was finished to decide the premiers, and with Warrandyte 7/65 in their second innings, with a lead of just 55 runs, it appeared all the domination would amount to nothing. Resuming the game on 23 March 1907, Warrandyte's tail added another 19 runs, but this would prove crucial, as Yarra Glen were dismissed for just 67 in their 2nd innings, giving Warrandyte its first ever premiership by 8 runs.
Earliest reference to women's cricket was noted on the ANA holiday back on 24 January 1906, when after the men played the visiting Carlton team, a ladies game was held. The locals victorious 29 runs to 19.
The Box Hill Reporter District Cricket Association (1908 – 1932) Warrandyte were forced to not play in season 1907/08 after the Cameron Cricket Association disbanding due to lack of participating teams, so the club approached the Box Hill Reporter District Cricket Association in September 1908. They were initially refused entry because of the opposition clubs reluctance to travel to Warrandyte, due to its remoteness at the time, however they were accepted on 2 October on the proviso they play all their games at opposition grounds. Only Blackburn made the long trek out to Warrandyte.
The step up in the standard of cricket was evident, even in the B Grade, with the club struggling against strong seasoned teams like Blackburn, Box Hill, Croydon, Doncaster, East Burwood, Ringwood & Templestowe. Most of whom have been playing since the competition started in 1890. One highlight was Thomas Schubert taking 9/17 against Templestowe in 1909, a club record that would stand until 1996, and still the best bowling figures ever at Warrandyte Reserve. The team would struggle up until World War I, but that period saw the debuts of 100 game players Les Till (John's son), Jack & William Colman, Les, Richard & Bill McCulloch and William Moore.
The post war era coincided with a coming of age, as the club dominated B Grade. Season 1920/21 saw them win the premiership against Blackburn 2nd XI, and the first game of one of the club's greatest players, James Schubert, who still remains the only player to score 4,000 runs and take 400 wickets.
William Colman scored 468 runs and took 90 wickets in 1922/23, which is still a record for most wickets & points in a single season.
They also spasmodically fielded a 2nd XI of their own for the first time in 1925/26, while the 1st XI yo-yoed between A and B Grade.
Despite the advent of the automobile in the 1920s, most locals couldn't afford one, and were forced to travel to and from grounds by either bicycle or on the back of Horrie Smith's orchard truck.
For reasons not entirely clear, the club had to field its 2nd XI in the Ringwood and District Cricket Association's C Grade in 1931/32, probably due again to the distance to Warrandyte issue for opposition clubs. The reserve team lost the final, coincidentally against newly formed South Warrandyte Cricket Club's 1st XI, which from formed by Jack Colman , who played 116 games in his 18 years at the Warrandyte Cricket Club.
This period saw the first games of life members John Smith in 1921/22, Jack McAuley the following season, and Horrie Smith Jnr in 1926/27.
The Ringwood and District Cricket Association (1932 – 1948) The following season in 1932/33, the 1st XI also joined the RDCA, where the reserve team won its first flag in 1993/34. The club attended the association's AGM in October 1934, but were missing from the fixture a month later, and returned to the BHRDCA for one season. Then according to the Box Hill Reporter newspaper on 30 August 1935, once again they were refused entry at the AGM due to "inaccessibility", so it was back to the RDCA. 1936/37 saw the 1sts claim its first RDCA premiership, on the back of fearful fast bowler Fred Carlton's 90 wickets and 2 competition bowling awards in 2 seasons.
1 October 1938 was a red letter day in the club's history, when a 15-year-old Allan Chapman played his first game. Although being run out for just 1 at Wonga Park wasn't memorable, his legacy at the club would become indelible. He is roundly touted by those in the know as the club's greatest ever player, winning an unprecedented 7 first eleven Club Championships, and playing 1st XI cricket until the age of 48. The Chapman name would become synonymous with Warrandyte cricket, with 14 in total playing for the club, including 5 Life Members and grandson Matthew, who still plays today. Two games later another legend debuted, with Les Adams beginning his 35-year association with the club.
Following two of the brightest moments was possibly its darkest, when on 13 January 1939, the Black Friday bush fires ravaged the town, destroying the clubrooms and all its equipment and memorabilia in its wake. Tragically former player Fred Topping perished defending his home. With help from The Victorian Cricket Association donating equipment, the club rebuilt and remarkably went on to win both the B and C Grade premierships in 1939/40. The 1st XI beat North Bayswater 205 & 153 to 129 & 166, while the 2nd XI easily defeated Ringwood 116 & 1/38 to 58 & 94.
The club had a -year hiatus during the WW2 period, and returned to once again dominate the competition in B Grade, going undefeated until their shock loss to East Ringwood in the semi-final. The promotion to A Grade saw them struggle again, and a return to B Grade in 1947/48 saw the 1st XI claim its 3rd flag in 12 seasons. The winning team consisted of Allan, Arthur, Adrian & Colin Chapman, Stan Houghton, Jim Lee, Jack McAuley, Clive & George Smith, Horace Smith Junior and Senior, and is one of the greatest to ever take the field for Warrandyte.
Turbulent times (1949 – 1960)