Crowthorne Cricket Club was founded in 1982 as a community project with a grant of £200 from Crowthorne Parish Council and was promoted to provide cricket for local players of all abilities.
Whilst there were already large clubs in Wokingham and Finchampstead, it was felt that these were targeted at the higher end of the amateur game and wished to attract only young and established players of above average potential.
Indeed, a number of players taught to play at Crowthorne went on to play for these clubs, while the Club Constitution still reflects its community service background by requiring selection for friendly matches to be done on a rotational basis, irrespective of levels of skill.
The club originally played its home matches at Edgbarrow Sports Centre, but it became increasingly difficult to attract regular, quality opposition, since the wicket is artificial and the outfield, regularly used for football, was rutted and hazardous to fielders.
A move to Wellington College provided good quality playing surfaces and the Club progressed further. However, as more clubs started to join leagues, Saturday ‘friendly’ fixtures became harder to find and for two or three years only the Sunday XI had a full fixture list.
This was the main reason the Club applied for membership of the Berkshire League at the end of the 1995 season. As a result, the following season saw the now familiar format of Saturday League and Sunday Friendly fixtures.
Unfortunately, while the playing surface at the Derby Field at Wellington was one of the best in the league, the changing and catering facilities did not measure up to league standards and the Club was obliged to move its league fixtures to other venues, eventually making the council recreation ground at Great Hollands its Saturday home.
Steady progress has taken Crowthorne from Division 6 to Division 2 of the BCL and into a higher league criteria group, bringing with it responsibility to provide additional items such as sightscreens and improved wicket and outfield maintenance. In 2011 the Club took the opportunity to
move all its matches to 'New Ground' at Wellington College; where the
facilities met the requirements of the league and the playing surface is
one of the finest in Berkshire.
Crowthorne Cricket Club runs net practices throughout the summer and indoor winter nets during the run up to the start of each season. The 6-a-side competition, an event run in memory of Club legend Adrian Chatters, who died tragically young, is now in its fourth year and is now central to the Club’s calendar.
The next objectives include the provision of coaching and extending the membership a little further to make a Saturday 2nd XI a possibility.
2010 saw the club move further forward with the announcement of a team sponsor. We welcomed Installation Technology as the Official Sponsor of Crowthorne Cricket Club; this ongoing relationship with Installation Technology has allowed the Club to further improve its practise and match day facilities.