The Wednesday Cricket Club: Difference between revisions

The Wednesday Cricket Club
Team information
Established	1820
Last match	1924
Home venue	Darnall cricket ground; Hyde Park; Bramall Lane
History
Notable players	Tom Marsden; William Slinn; Tom Armitage; George Ulyett; Michael Ellison; Tom Hunt; George Pinder

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Revision as of 13:20, 8 July 2019

The Wednesday Cricket Club was founded in 1820 and soon became one of the pre-eminent cricket clubs in the Sheffield area. The Wednesday club was the direct forerunner of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. The club was reformed in 2011 and has risen from Section 7 in the Mansfield District League to Section 2 in 2017. It's midweek side play in Division A of the Sheffield Alliance Midweek League in 2018 having won Division B in 2017.

History

The club was started by six local tradesmen - William Stratford (the first President), John Southren, Tom Lindley, William Woolhouse, George Dawson and George Hardisty, forming The Wednesday Cricket Club in 1820. The name of the club was derived from the day off work that the founders had, and therefore was the only day they could play. William Stratford was the first president, followed by Richard Gillott. The club played at several cricket grounds in the Sheffield area. One of the club's first grounds was the

Sheffield had been the hub of cricket in the north of England during the first half of the nineteenth century, and Sheffield Cricket Club had played under the guise of a "Yorkshire" side for many years prior to the formation of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1863.

Several prominent local cricketers appeared for the Wednesday club, such as Michael Ellison, William Slinn, Tom Hunt, George Pinder, Tom Armitage, George Ulyett, and Tom Marsden. Ellison went on to help form Yorkshire County Cricket Club whilst Armitage and Ulyett were selected for England's first Test cricket tour of Australia in 1877. Marsden was for many years the best single wicket cricketer in the north of England and was said to have put up a £50 reward for anyone to beat him. The great southern cricketer of the time, Fuller Pilch, did just that in 1833, beating Marsden in Norwich.^[1] When a rematch was organised, over 20,000 crammed into the Old Darnall ground hoping to see Marsden defeated once more. Marsden also scored 227 in a game for Sheffield & Leicester versus Nottingham, at that time only the third double century seen in England. In 1841, Marsden he finally lost his northern single wicket crown to Henry Sampson, another Wednesday player, who later that year scored 162 against Sheffield.

In 1867, the Wednesday cricket club formed a football club, primarily to keep players fit over the winter months. The Wednesday Football club rose to national prominence by the end of the 19th century, winning the 1896 FA Cup Final and becoming English Champions in 1903. The football club officially changed their name to Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in 1929. Several players managed to successfully appear for both the football and cricket sections of the club in the late 19th century including William Stacey and Lance Morley notably George Ulyett. Ulyett played cricket several times for England and also played football for Wednesday in 1882-83 and 1883-84 seasons as a Goalkeeper.^[2]

The cricket club was disbanded in 1924 due to financial difficulties. In 2011 a group of Sheffield Wednesday football supporters re-formed the club, entering the side into a local Sheffield league in time for the start of the 2011 season.

Cricket Grounds and Notable Events

Wednesday initially played at Darnall Cricket Ground which was established by William Woolhouse, one of the six founders of the club, and his father-in-law George Steer. The old Darnall ground collapsed during the first important match there - Sheffield v. Nottingham attended by 2000 people.
Darnall New Ground was built to replace the old ground and was much larger, hosting several notable games including in 1828 when a combined Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire XI faced a Rest of England XI in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000.
After playing in Darnall for several years, Wednesday moved to Hyde Park as it was closer to the centre of town. Hyde Park had a capacity of 16,000.
When Wednesday played Nottingham in 1833, George Dawson was the victim of a disputed run out decision which was recorded in the score book as "cheated out".
In 1841 Harry Sampson scored 162, the highest ever score on ice, while playing for Wednesday against Sheffield Town.
As Hyde Park fell into disrepair, local cricketers began looking for yet another venue. A new ground at Newhall was used for a United England XI versus a Sheffield XV however Newhall was too far from the town, seating was limited and the wicket was poor.
A group of local cricketers including William Stratford and Michael Ellison representing Wednesday managed to lease an area of land on Bramall Lane to build a pavilion and rent some land around it in 1855. A few months later, the first cricket match at Bramall Lane was played between two teams picked from Sheffield, Wednesday, Broomhall, Milton, Caxton and Shrewsbury clubs.
Wednesday continued to play at Bramall Lane until 1893.

References

^ "Single-wicket again". Cricinfo. 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
^ http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22146.html

External sources

[1] "Single-wicket again". Cricinfo. 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2019-07-08.

[2] ttp://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22146.html

[1]

[2]

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-'''The Wednesday Cricket Club''' was founded in 1820 and soon became one of the pre-eminent [[cricket]] clubs in the Sheffield area. The Wednesday club was the direct forerunner of [[Sheffield Wednesday Football Club]]. The club was reformed in 2011 and has risen from Section 7 in the Mansfield District League to Section 2 in 2017. Its midweek side will play in Division A of the Sheffield Alliance Midweek League in 2018 having won Division B in 2017.
+'''The Wednesday Cricket Club''' was founded in 1820 and soon became one of the pre-eminent [[cricket]] clubs in the [[Sheffield]] area. The Wednesday club was the direct forerunner of [[Sheffield Wednesday Football Club]]. The club was reformed in 2011 and has risen from Section 7 in the Mansfield District League to Section 2 in 2017. It's midweek side play in Division A of the Sheffield Alliance Midweek League in 2018 having won Division B in 2017.
 ==History==
-Six local tradesmen - William Stratford (the first President), John Southren, Tom Lindley, [[William Woolhouse]], George Dawson and George Hardisty, formed The Wednesday Cricket Club, so named because that was their day off, and therefore the only day they could play.  One of the club's first grounds was the [[Darnall New Ground]] (parts of the old one had collapsed during a big game between Sheffield and Nottingham), which was more than capable of hosting a big game, perhaps the biggest of them all coming in 1828 when a combined Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire XI faced a Rest of England XI in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000.
+The club was started by six local tradesmen - William Stratford (the first President), John Southren, Tom Lindley, [[William Woolhouse]], George Dawson and George Hardisty, forming The Wednesday Cricket Club in 1820. The name of the club was derived from the day off work that the founders had, and therefore was the only day they could play. William Stratford was the first president, followed by Richard Gillott. The club played at several cricket grounds in the Sheffield area. One of the club's first grounds was the
+Sheffield had been the hub of cricket in the north of England during the first half of the nineteenth century, and [[Sheffield Cricket Club]] had played under the guise of a "Yorkshire" side for many years prior to the formation of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1863.
+Several prominent local cricketers appeared for the Wednesday club, such as Michael Ellison, [[William Slinn]], Tom Hunt, [[George Pinder (cricketer)|George Pinder]], [[Tom Armitage]], [[George Ulyett]], and [[Tom Marsden]]. Ellison went on to help form [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club]] whilst Armitage and Ulyett were selected for [[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77|England's first Test cricket tour of Australia in 1877.]] Marsden was for many years the best single wicket cricketer in the north of England and was said to have put up a £50 reward for anyone to beat him. The great southern cricketer of the time, [[Fuller Pilch]], did just that in 1833, beating Marsden in Norwich.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/111463.html|title=Single-wicket again|date=2008-04-30|website=Cricinfo|language=en|access-date=2019-07-08}}</ref> When a rematch was organised, over 20,000 crammed into the [[Darnall Old Ground|Old Darnall ground]] hoping to see Marsden defeated once more. Marsden also scored 227 in a game for Sheffield & Leicester versus Nottingham, at that time only the third double century seen in England. In 1841, Marsden he finally lost his northern single wicket crown to [[Henry Sampson (English cricketer)|Henry Sampson]], another Wednesday player, who later that year scored 162 against Sheffield.
-Sheffield had been the home of cricket in the north of England during the first half of the nineteenth century, and [[Sheffield Cricket Club]] had played under the guise of a "Yorkshire" side for many years prior to the formation of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1863.
+In 1867, the Wednesday cricket club formed a football club, primarily to keep players fit over the winter months. The Wednesday Football club rose to national prominence by the end of the 19th century, winning the [[1896 FA Cup Final]] and becoming [[1902–03 Football League|English Champions in 1903.]] The football club officially changed their name to [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.]] in 1929. Several players managed to successfully appear for both the football and cricket sections of the club in the late 19th century including William Stacey and Lance Morley notably [[George Ulyett]].  Ulyett played cricket several times for England and also played football for Wednesday in 1882-83 and 1883-84 seasons as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]].<ref>http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22146.html</ref>
-Some great local cricketers appeared for the Wednesday club, men like Michael Ellison (who later helped form Yorkshire CCC), William Slinn, Tom Hunt, George Pinder, Tom Armitage, (selected in the England team that took on Australia in the first ever test match in 1877), and possibly the greatest of them all, Tom Marsden.  Marsden was for many years the best single wicket cricketer in the north of England, and, not short on confidence, he put up a £50 reward for anyone to beat him.  The great Southern cricketer of the time, Fuller Pilch, did just that, in 1828, and when a rematch was organised, over 20,000 crammed into the [[Darnall Old Ground|Old Darnall ground]] hoping to see their man gain revenge.  However Marsden was defeated once more, and it proved to be the beginning of the end for a player who, aged just 21, had hit 227 in a game for Sheffield & Leicester versus Nottingham, at that time only the third double century seen in England.  In 1841 he finally lost his northern single wicket crown to Harry Sampson, another Wednesday man who later that year scored 162 against Sheffield on ice!
+The cricket club was disbanded in 1924 due to financial difficulties. In 2011 a group of Sheffield Wednesday football supporters re-formed the club, entering the side into a local Sheffield league in time for the start of the 2011 season.
-The town was awash with multi-talented sportsmen around the mid-Nineteenth century, and a few even managed to appear for both the cricket and football sections of the Wednesday club, William Stacey and Lance Morley, among them.  However the most famous man to appear for the club in both sports was one of Sheffield's greatest ever characters – George Ulyett.  Ulyett made his only competitive appearance for the football club when keeping goal against Notts County in an 1883 FA Cup tie, but the Pitsmoor man was far more renowned as a top class cricketer.  After playing in the first ever test match alongside Tom Armitage, his most famous moment came in 1884, when claiming a wicket against the Australians at Lord's.  Having bowled to renowned hard hitter [[George Bonnor]], the batsman smashed it straight back down the wicket, and to the amazement of the crowd, Ulyett caught it.  The great W.G. Grace even labelled him 'foolish' for attempting such a catch, as he believed it would have broken his arm should the bowler have misjudged it.<ref>http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22146.html</ref>
-==Notable events==
+==Cricket Grounds and Notable Events==
+* Wednesday initially played at [[Darnall Old Ground|Darnall Cricket Ground]] which was established by [[William Woolhouse]], one of the six founders of the club, and his father-in-law George Steer. The old Darnall ground collapsed during the first [[First-class cricket#Important matches classification|important match]] there - Sheffield v. Nottingham attended by 2000 people.
-* William Stratford was the first president, followed by Richard Gillott.
+*[[Darnall New Ground]] was built to replace the old ground and was much larger, hosting several notable games including in 1828 when a combined Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire XI faced a Rest of England XI in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000.
-* [[William Woolhouse]], one of the six founders of the club, and his father-in-law George Steer, were the men behind the Darnall cricket ground which was built for 1822 and the new Darnall ground (which was built after parts of the first collapsed during the first [[First-class cricket#Important matches classification|important match]] there - Sheffield v. Nottingham attended by 2000 people.).
+* After playing in Darnall for several years, Wednesday moved to [[Hyde Park (cricket ground)|Hyde Park]] as it was closer to the centre of town. Hyde Park had a capacity of 16,000.
-* The new Darnall ground had seating for 8000.
-* Wednesday played their home matches at Darnall. However the Darnall ground wasn't destined to lord it for long as by '''Date ?''' a new ground had been built nearer the town. This ground, Hyde Park, attracted big matches immediately but even Hyde Park only last 10 years before starting to lose its shine.
 * When Wednesday played Nottingham in 1833, George Dawson was the victim of a disputed run out decision which was recorded in the score book as "cheated out".
 * In 1841 Harry Sampson scored 162, the highest ever score on ice, while playing for Wednesday against Sheffield Town.
-* As Hyde Park fell from grace, local cricketers began looking for yet another venue. A new ground at Newhall was used for a United England XI versus a Sheffield XV however Newhall was too far from the town, seating was limited and the wicket was poor.
+* As Hyde Park fell into disrepair, local cricketers began looking for yet another venue. A new ground at Newhall was used for a United England XI versus a Sheffield XV however Newhall was too far from the town, seating was limited and the wicket was poor.
-* A group of local cricketers including W.O. Stratford representing Wednesday, managed to lease an area of land on Bramall Lane to build a pavilion and rent some land around it. So just a few months after the Charge of the Light Brigade two teams picked from Sheffield, Wednesday, Broomhall, Milton, Caxton and Shrewsbury clubs met on the Bramall Lane wicket.
+* A group of local cricketers including William Stratford and Michael Ellison representing Wednesday managed to lease an area of land on [[Bramall Lane]] to build a pavilion and rent some land around it in 1855. A few months later, the first cricket match at Bramall Lane was played between two teams picked from Sheffield, Wednesday, Broomhall, Milton, Caxton and Shrewsbury clubs.
-* Wednesday had a wicket at Bramall Lane until 1893.
+* Wednesday continued to play at Bramall Lane until 1893.
-==Disbandment and reformation==
 [[Image:Darnall cricket ground.jpg|thumb|right|A cricket match at Darnall in the 1820s, a venue at which Wednesday often played.]]
+<br />
-The cricket club was disbanded just four years after its centenary due to financial difficulties, but in 2011 a group of Sheffield Wednesday football supporters re-formed the club, entering the side into a local Sheffield league in time for the start of the 2011 season.
 ==References==