Stepping back in time || Tamworth's early cricketing days

No doubt cricket has always been played around Tamworth, from the arrival of the first Europeans in the 1830's.

Most of the early settlers and convict workforce being of British origin, the game would have been familiar to them.

It wasn't until 1748, 40 years before the arrival of the First Fleet, that the Court of the King's Bench declared that Cricket was a legal sport.

In 1826 the first Sydney Cricket Club was formed, with the first Interstate NSW v Victoria game being played in 1856.

The first recording of Tamworth cricket involvement came through the May 4, 1859 publication of our first newspaper - The Tamworth Examiner which stated - "We the undersigned members of the Tamworth Cricket Club do hereby challenge to play eleven of the married men of the same Club on the 24th of May for 10 shillings, a bat and a dinner. On behalf of the single men William Robson, Thom. Fitzgerald, T.C.Bolton."

This Club had its home-base at Lawrence's Travellers Home Inn, on the corner of Peel and Brisbane sts, where 'Cotton On' is now situated.

The challenge was accepted by G.G.Mayne, W.Smith of Attunga and W.Miller.

The match was played "on the green behind James Bailey's residence", then known as 'The Government Reserve', around the middle of today's Bicentennial Park.

The "single men" won the match.

Read also:

In July 1859 a new Club was formed - the Victoria Cricket Club, their headquarters being the Tamworth Hotel where Target is now located.

On June 26, 1860 our first recorded inter-club match took place between Victoria C/C and Tamworth United C/C, with the former winning easily 169 to 49 and 43.

The newspaper reported that ".. the fielding was weak and the bowling poor."

In the early 1860's there was an upsurge in district cricket with various local property teams being formed, including Blaxland's 'Keepit' team and Lloyd's 'Burburgate' team from beyond Gunnedah.

The latter saw our first recorded inter-district match, when the 'Burburgate' team arrived unannounced on horseback, fording the river and riding abreast along Peel St.

Their round trip was about 225km. Tamworth won the match with their bowler James Breckenreg taking 11/39 in a low-scoring game.

The 'Burburgate' wicket-keeper, French-born Oscar de Satge, went on to become one of Australia's most notable drovers, one of the biggest landholders in Queensland, a Queensland parliamentarian and a noted author.

Eventually a 2.2 hectare section of what is today's Bicentennial Park was listed for "Cricket" on the Government Reserve.

However, bullock teams continually eroded the surface.

Later fencing of the area probably made it worse for, although keeping wagons out, it provided an excellent holding-paddock for horses.

Following representations by the Tamworth Mayor P.G.King, himself a cricketer, eventually "The Oval" cricket ground was put under the control of the Tamworth Borough Council in 1879, although not exclusively for the use of cricket.

When the Showground , occupying a section of today's Bicentennial Park/No.1 Oval, was devastated by the 1910 flood, causing its relocation to West Tamworth, today's No.1 Oval became the main cricket ground.

During the 1870's the first Saturday in every month was observed as a holiday, with all businesses being closed.

Aligned with this the local Holiday Association was formed to conduct sports, largely cricket, on that day.

It was reported that "rivalry was keen" in regular matches between Tamworth and Attunga in the early 1870's, with Manilla also becoming an active cricket centre in the mid 1870's.

Tamworth played Manilla for the first time in 1879, won by Tamworth. Tamworth also played matches against Nundle, Bowling Alley Point, Walcha and Armidale in the 1870's/1880's.

Read more: Stepping Back in Time || If you're headed to the show this weekend, you might want to know where it all started

By the 1890's Tamworth teams would travel to Gunnedah by Wakely's horse-bus, taking three and a half hours to reach Somerton on the Friday evening, where they stayed overnight, leaving 4:30am the next morning to reach Gunnedah at 8am, with the match starting an hour later.

The return trip would also include an overnight stop at Somerton.

Various Clubs formed in Tamworth in the early years, going back to the original Tamworth United C/C & Victoria C/C, followed by Endeavour C/C (see photo), Albion C/C and Tamworth Athletic C/C forming by the 1880's.

Even the Royal Standard Brewery had their own cricket team. Ironclads C/C formed in 1894, changing to North Tamworth C/C in 1895.

Cricket was well advertised in the main street in 1882 with 'The Cricketers Arms' Hotel, renamed from the first Royal Hotel where today's Central Hotel building is located, displaying outside impressive signage depicting a cricket pitch, stumps and players.

This was due to the licensee Alfred Bevege's love for cricket, leading to the renaming of the Hotel.

A few who made their name in early Tamworth cricket were Messrs.

Bevege, Lambert, Denning, Adams, Boydell, O'Reilly, Silver, McGinty, Cantwell, Hamer, Fielder, Avery, Passfield, Beveridge, Dean, Haydon, Noakes and Flynn.

The origins of an organised inter-district 'Bush Cricket' competition came in 1885 with the formation of the Peel Valley Cricket Association, which included teams over the years from Goonoo Goonoo, Nundle, Bowling Alley Point, Woolomin, Dungowan, Piallamore, Nemingha, Moonbi, Limbri, Watsons Creek, Bendemeer, Woolbrook and Walcha. Some of these centres still participate in the current Bush Cricket competition.

Read more: The outbreak of the First World War in Europe in 1914 evoked an immediate, strong patriotic response

Matches against Tamworth by visiting England and Australian representative teams commenced in the early 1880's - Nov.23/24, 1881 v England; Dec.11/12, 1882 v England (washed out); Jan. 21/22, 1884 v Aust. XI - Tamworth defeated outright. Dr O'Reilly best Tamworth player, taking 3/42; Feb.21/22, 1888 v Lillywhite's England XI - won by England, despite Tamworth's F. Longley 8/57.

About 1000 spectators in attendance, then about 25 per cent of Tamworth's population ; 1888 - v C.Aubrey Smith's English XI. Tamworth also hosted visits by NSW teams.

During Easter 1898 the Caledonian Hotel accommodated a visiting NSW cricket team, which included Syd Gregory and a young "soon to be great" Victor Trumper, who scored 38 and 2 against a Northern NSW XI, played at 'The Oval', NSW winning the match.

On Nov.23, 1926 a NSW Sheffield Shield team, captained by Alan Kippax, defeated a Tamworth XI, with late callup 16-y-o Tamworth High School wicket-keeper "Bob" Cohen topscoring with 29.

Then on March 27/28, 1928, the NSW XI, captained again by Kippax, included the great Don Bradman, on their match on No.1 Oval.

'The Don' was 'clean-bowled' by local "Archie" Thompsonfor 20 in the 1st innings, but went on to score 128 not out in the 2nd innings, including 2 "sixes" into Lower St (Kable Ave.).

He showed some all-round ability as well, taking 5 wickets for 34.

International teams continued to visit over the years with an MCC XI playing Northern NSW on No.1 Oval in 1963, with captain Bruce Weissel topscoring with 51 for the Country team.

I recall Bruce Weissel getting me out first ball with his leg-spinners on the only two occasions I faced him, once on No.2 Oval and the other time in the Werris Creek playground.

Following the opening of the Olympic Pool, a 5 pound prize was put up for the first batsman to hit a 6 from the Oval pitch into the Pool, eventually achieved by Police Sgt. Usback, playing for Walcha against Tamworth on March 17, 1939.

Try as I may I could not emulate this task, my only 6 having been hit on Cross Park in 1965.

But I'm still trying, so look out!

Cricket continues to play a significant role in Tamworth's sporting profile with various competitions, male and female, young and old, proliferating.

We are somewhat spoilt with so many turf and synthetic pitches, as well as so many practice-nets.

The formation of today's Tamworth District Cricket Association in 1948 now oversees a strong local competition.

Tamworth identities John Gleeson, Erin Osborne, Leonie Coleman and Josh Hazlewood attained the honour of representing Australia. Locally, Veterans Cricket has grown incredibly since its origins only 13 years ago.

We look forward to hosting an England v NSW Over 70's match on No. 1 Oval on February 9 next year.

We love our cricket!

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: