Mitcham Cricket Club

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There is no sport more English than cricket, which is why being part of is something quite special. It is reputedly the oldest cricket club in the world, with people having played on the green continuously since 1685.



Initially the members of the club were locally born and from nearby towns, but now it is much more cosmopolitan and open to everyone. If you are interested in becoming part of the heritage, you can make enquires about becoming a member by contacting [email protected] or calling 07988255586.

The matches in the early days were played in front of big crowds from 800 to 3000 people, including the gentry and others in high class society. Betting on the outcome of a cricket match was all the rage back then. In an 1819 challenge match, someone bet as much as a hundred guineas.



Famous players who have played on the green include William Fennex in 1790, Tom Sewell in 1862, Dick Humphrey and James Southerton in 1873, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who played against the club for the Streatham team in the early 1900s. If these names are a bit of a mystery to you, you might recognise some more recent individuals such as Alec Stewart, Mark Butcher, and Mark Ramprakash.



The club and green have hosted many famous teams, including W.G. United South of England XI. It has also had many visiting teams from overseas such as Australia in 1880, 1884, and 1886. After the cricket league started in 1968, won the division title four times in the first ten years. The club's ongoing success is partly due to the dedication of its members who run coaching sessions for between sixty to eighty boys evenings and every Sunday morning.

The club is thriving, and always active, playing league games on Saturdays, and Colts and Cup matches in the evenings during the week.

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