HISTORY

Ombersley cricket club was founded in the mid 1800s and has a long history; not least in entertaining county games for Worcestershire. One of our members is currently researching the origins of the club and a historical update will be placed here in due course. We have in our clubhouse photographs from the 1890s onwards and they display names that can still be seen in and around the parish of Ombersley today; Sanders, Green, Passey, Wood, Baylis Yardley to name but a few. The grandson of perhaps our longest serving hon secretary Mike Passey is a member of the junior section and the grandfather of Richard Wood, the current chairman, can be seen on some of the early photographs. Martin Yardley is currently a first team player and his father Bill has been a staunch and valued member of the club for, at a guess, 50 years.

In the late 1960s a new clubhouse was built because the new  Ombersley by pass, the A449 Worcester to Kidderminster main road, was then designated to go straight through the old pavilion - which was in fact no more than a railway wagon. Tea was taken at the nearby Crown and Sandys or the Kings Arms (depending which pub was in vogue at the time.) At the same time as the new pavilion was taking shape, plans were made to move the square and the outfield from their old site to the ground that we have today. The current square and outfield were laid in the early seventies – but were not used for a couple of years as the wicket especially was given time to “bed in.” Some of the current members can recall quite vividly picking up stones in the new outfield under the watchful “guidance” of John Sanders who, with the committee of the time, oversaw the whole project. They are to be congratulated in having the foresight and courage to build a new clubhouse as well as laying down a new square, outfield and bowling green all within an eight year period; their efforts should never be forgotten as they constructed the facilities that we enjoy today.

One constant pillar of support for all that we do is the approach of our landlord - Lord Sandys. The cricket club rents the ground from him and the Ombersley Trust on a long lease it is accurate to say the club enjoys an excellent rapport with both Lord and Lady Sandys. Their unfailing interest shows in many ways; Lord Sandys, for example, is in his 44^th year as our president and hardly an AGM, cricket dinner or bowls dinner goes by without his attendance. We pride ourselves on maintaining the freehold in the best way possible but nevertheless realise how lucky we are with our landlords. Long may it continue.

The current facilities include a large square and outfield; a junior square and outfield for the next generation; two synthetic nets and three grass nets. There is an excellent crown green bowling green adjacent to the clubhouse as well as a large car parking area and a tractor shed that houses all the necessary, and extensive range of, ground keeping machinery. The clubhouse itself has two large changing rooms; shower area; lounge bar; kitchen and toilet area and is tastefully decorated – families are encouraged to use the bar and on many summer evenings the bar-b-q is in constant  use outside the club.

The ground is the envy of many and is generally acknowledged to be the very best there is outside of the County Ground, New Road.

Worcestershire CCC use our ground for their first team squad warm up days; second XI fixtures and this summer each of the county age group teams from under 10s to under 17s inclusive will be using the ground on at least one occasion. This we feel is the best testimony that we can have.

If anyone can contribute to the history of our club please email our Chairman