Who Are We?
The Grange Cricket Club was formed in 1978, part of the Grange Sports and Social Club, which was run for employees of Thames Water Authority and based at The Grange in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Up to the end of the 2007 season the Club has fulfilled a total of 700 fixtures, and over 175 different people have played one game or more.
The earliest retained records were for a fixture against The Phonies, a team formed of employees of British Telecom, in May 1979. It was played at the Club’s previous home pitch, which was the council run wicket at Goffs Lane.
The Club began by playing midweek fixtures mainly against work-based teams on a 20 overs per side format, and it wasn’t until 1980 that weekend fixtures were introduced. Our first weekend fixture was against The Friends of Epping Hospital and this still features in our club records as being where we recorded our lowest ever total of 16 all out!
Matches have always been played since on a strictly friendly basis. This has meant that although the Club plays to win, it hasn’t stopped a few social drinks being enjoyed afterwards. In playing to win the Captain treads a fine line between trying to ensure all players have the opportunity to participate, as well as maximising our chances of winning.
Although principally a ‘friendly’ team we have dabbled over the years with competitive league cricket in the shape of the Geddings Mercury League. It has to be said that we were often treated as cannon fodder for teams who were quite blatantly over-strength for what was a 2nd/3rd team competition. Nonetheless we enjoyed most of the matches and had the odd victory here and there!
Our home pitch
Our home pitch has moved around over the years. Initially we played at Goffs Lane and then Goffs Oak, but the need to hoist up netting to prevent the local block of flats being peppered with cricket balls, encouraged us to seek alternative pitches. We played a few games at Waltham Cross until the pitch disappeared under a new road! Subsequently we moved to the council run Wormley Playing Fields. After a few seasons, and despite assurances by the groundsman that he had “cut us a great strip”, variable bounces and the distance to run to the changing rooms during rain breaks, forced us elsewhere. In 1993 we were able to hire pitches at St Edmunds College. The setting and the quality of the wicket were superb, but over time we have lost out to competition from both the school and their old boys when hiring pitches. This again has forced us to seek pitches at such locations as Waltham Abbey (Townmead Playing Fields) as well as playing both home and away fixtures at our opponents ground.
Other Venues
Our fixtures have been centred around Hertfordshire, playing teams such as Aston, Buntingford, Wormley, Nazeing Common, London Colney etc. However, we have ventured much further afield playing a yearly fixture on the south coast at Hythe against Portex CC. In addition we have played weekend fixtures at Filleigh in North Devon with the players and their families staying in a local Youth Hostel in Exford.
Filleigh Cricket Club 2004 – probably the most scenic place we have played