Games of cricket involving
West Hartlepool, Hartlepool, Seaton Carew and Whitby can be
traced back to the early 1820's. The West Hartlepool Cricket
Club was founded in May 1855 and played for many years at
Burn road before amalgamating with rival local club, West
Hartlepool Temperance. In 1881 they moved their base to
Clarence Road (adjacent to Hartlepool Football Club), where
they played until 1911.
West's first venture into
League Cricket was in the Durham Senior League, but in 1899
they decided to join the North Yorkshire and South Durham
League. They met with immediate success and won the 'A'
Division Championship in 1899,1900,1901,1902,1908 and 1913.
The pre First World War period was virtually dominated by
West Hartlepool and Guisborough; it was a truly golden era of
'West' cricket. Players of the calibre of Harry Salmon,
Thompson Smith, the Horsley brothers, A.V. Mcgregor, Walter
Lees and Freddie Eyre set uncompromising standards of
efficiency whilst still playing attractive cricket.
Harry Salmon, a huge figure at
the wicket, believed that the harder he hit the ball the less
running he would have to do. This was never better
demonstrated than in his famous innings against Redcar in
1910, when he made 200 runs in just over 2 hours. In those
days, 6 runs could only be scored if the ball was hit
completely out of the ground and one imagines the Redcar
fieldsmen had a lot of retreiving to do on that day.
It was also in this time that
Alf Morris played for the Club, before going on to represent
Durham County with great distinction; he took 651 wickets and
still holds numerous records for Durham. He remains the only
player to capture all 10 wickets in an innings, v Yorkshire
Seconds in 1910, and in 1911 he captured a remarkable 97
wickets with his right arm fast medium swing bowling. In his
early 'B' division days he took 8 Guisborough wickets in 9
deliveries for no runs.
The club moved to its present
headquarters at Park Drive in 1912 and staged the Durham v
Australia Imperial Forces game in 1919. In that game the Club
Tommy Kinch hit a brilliant 105, full of perfectly timed
strokes; this was the only century scored against the A.I.F.
on that tour. Wisden made the following remarks on that game:
' One would have expected the Australians to have beaten
Durham in two days, but thanks to Kinch's hitting the county
gave quite a show, and the game was left drawn. The
Australians might well have declared on the second afternoon,
but treating the match very lightly they went on hitting
until stumps were pulled up.
Australians, 364(W.L.Trennery
81, C.E.Pellow 63, H.L.Collins 49, C.B.Milam 4-99) and 336-8
9C.E.Pellow 61, J.T.Murray 86, C.B.Willis 57 not out)
Durham 259 (T.Kinch 105,
J.M.Gregory 4-16).
Season 1928 saw West
Hartlepool complete the double by winning the 'A' Division
title and the Kerridge Cup. The cup success was repeated
again in 1932, 1934 and 1941. Not to be outdone, the Second
XI won the 'B' Division Championship in 1932, 1937 and 1939.
Championship and Cup success
alone cannot describe the individual effort. Several people
can still remember the fine performances of W.H.R.Alderson,
F.W.C. Newman, the incomparable Frank Smith, a very strong
off driver who hit 17 league centuries and a fine 154 for the
League against the M.C.C. in 1927, Jack Webster and those
excellent professionals Jack Cook and Jack Curtis.
Curtis had played county
cricket for Leicestershire, and was given the title of 'the
hat-trick king' because of the number of times he performed
the feat.
Cook was a slow to medium
bowler and once scored 106 for Durham County against the New
Zealanders.
Thompson Smith was a very fast
bowler, but despite this seemed to play on and on, indeed on
his 60th birthday he bowled West Hartlepool to victory in the
Kerridge Cup.
After the Second World War the
Club shared the common problems of reconstruction with other
clubs. Although cricket had continued during hostilities
several of the Club's former stalwarts had retired.
Eventually the nucleus of a good side emerged under the
captaincy of Harry Bailey and included such fine exponents of
the game as Alf Francis, Bill Ellerker, Syd Guthrie, Albert
Briggs and professional Joe Johnson. They were able to give
guidance to many promising young players such as David Hall,
Jim Kennedy, Reg Turner and Des Grievson, all of whom went on
to play valuable roles over the next 25 years.
It was not until 1964 that the
'A' Division Championship was again won, a youthful Peter
Kippax, the professional playing a vital part in the success.
The Club changed its name in 1967 from "West
Hartlepool" to "Hartlepool Cricket Club"
following an amalgamation of the two Boroughs.
All three senior sides were
playing well, but it was not until the return of Peter Kippax
in 1978 that another Championship came to Park Drive. That
side was led by Eric Clarke and included such good players as
Mike Gough, David Olaman and Johnny Johnston who was later to
bowl so well for Durham County.
With success in the Kerridge
Cup in 1979 the Club continued winning many competitions at
all levels, culminating in their second double in 1988. Jerry
Boyd captained a good all round side with Ashok Patel, Des
Playfor, Ashley Day and Andy Holland all making excellent
contributions.
Now with over 100 years of
league cricket behind them Hartlepool Cricket Club players,
officials and members can look forward with eager expectation
and look back with pride.
Park Drive has played host to
First Class Cricket as one of Durham C.C.C. 'out grounds'
with favourable reports received from umpires and players
about the wicket.
The picturesque surroundings
are a delight enjoyed by players and spectators alike lying
adjacent to the delightful Ward Jackson Park. Surely one of
the finest places you could imagine playing cricket.
