History
The first reference to Oakham Cricket Club was in 1808, over the next seventy years the Club’s fortunes fluctuated. In 1878 the Club became known as the Oakham Institute Cricket Club, a name it kept until 1895, after which it reverted to its original name. However the Club has been playing on the Lime Kilns Brooke Road (existing ground) since 1870.
In 1880 Mr John Furley, who had played for Northamptonshire and 1 game for England (at the Oval with Mr W.G.Grace), became Captain of the Club, a position he held for the next nineteen years. In the last two years he had the support of Mr A.O.Jones who went on to captain Nottinghamshire, play twelve tests and to captain England.
In the early 1900s little progress was made, but between the two world wars the club thrived with both Mr A.P.F.Chapman (who was later to captain both Kent and England, was Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1919, and played twenty-six tests) and Mr E.W.Dawson (who captained Leicestershire and would also play for the England in five tests) appearing for the club.
In 1940 the Club opened a new pavilion which was dedicated to the memory of Mr J.W.M. (“Monty”) Bradshaw, a member of the Club who had played for Leicestershire and who died in 1938 at the age of thirty-two. During the later part of the war Keith R. Miller (stationed at RAF Cottesmore) who would in years to come play for Australia also played on the ground.
The last third of the 1900s saw the Club move from playing strong friendly cricket to mainly League cricket, and during that period the Club was indebted to the generosity of the late Mr. Ben Martin, a former captain and Patron, and the late Mr Frank Gilman who enabled the club to buy the ground, on which David Gower (Leicestershire & England) was then to make a number of appearances.
In 2002 the pavilion, score box and equipment store were burnt down in three separate arson attacks, but two years later a new pavilion (on the same foot print as the old) was rebuilt and opened. In 2003 the Club won the South Lincolnshire and Border League for the first time, a feat repeated in 2004.
From The History of Rutland Cricket, Ian.H.S.Balfour, to be published. Copyright: the Author
Recent Developments
In 2006, besides growing its membership base across the club, Oakham Cricket Club invested heavily in improving the overall playing facilities with the addition of new equipment and a new dedicated square for training. While the club also improved the area surrounding the pavilion with the addition of outdoor furniture and additional bench seating it also commenced building a new safe & enclosed childrens play area (completed May 2007).
The Youth Programme has also been a successful benefactor of a number of grants and sponsorships which helped the club secure the appropriate youth training requirements including coaching courses, cricket kits and equipment to successfuly launch its youth programme in 2006.
2007 saw the introduction of a new senior Sunday XI in the Rutland League followed a year later with a second team. The Sunday 1st XI has since gained promotion to Division 2 and the 2nd XI will be playing in Division 4 in 2010.
While the club’s youth programme continued to expand with the addition of 6 new Youth cricket teams (U9s, U10s, U11s, U13s, U15s & U17s) entered into the Border Counties Youth Cricket Association League. These youth teams run alongside the very successful Sunday KWIK Cricket & Junior Coaching sessions (refer to the Youth Programme section).
After playing in the South Lincs and Border League for 35 years the club has moved to the Everards Leicestershire County League for its Saturday cricket starting in 2010. The 1st XI will commence in Division 3 and the 2nd XI in Division 7.
