Purbrook Cricket Club - Double Century

Just one year after Lord’s new cricket ground opened for business in St. John’s Wood in 1814, the sports pages of the Hampshire Telegraph recorded the first written evidence of a cricket club representing the neat yet humble village of Purbrook.

The report described “a return match at cricket between eleven gentlemen of Denmead & Ervills and eleven of Purbrook….played on Monday last, on Ealward’s Plain.” The date of the match was September 11th, 1815.

This two innings contest at Denmead was tetchy. Full of low scores and controversy. Denmead scored 18 in their first knock; Purbrook replied with 31. Denmead’s second innings score was 33 all out, leaving Purbrook needing just 21 runs for victory. The target soon proved difficult. With the Purbrook score at 12 for the loss of 6 wickets, tensions were growing. There was then a dispute over a dead ball and a run out. The dispute became prolonged and the match was abandoned!

Purbrook’s ground at Purbrook Common (now Purbrook Heath) became a popular cricketing venue from the early 1800s. Local landowners, their gentrified pals, athletic farmhands and labourers were all called upon by the Squire. Matches were played midweek. Usually there was a sizeable wager on the result (typically 11 guineas or 22 guineas).

There were no pavilions but always there was a tent on site, serving the same purpose. Throughout the 19th century, Purbrook’s pitch was located on the driest part of this lowland heath. The tennis courts are there now. The surrounding common was used by local folk as pasture for their cattle and pigs.

By the 20th century, the nature of the old cricket pitch was being overtaken by developments. It was small, balls were too easily lost in the gorse, and there was a dodgy slope towards the distant brook. The pitch was merely a swatch of common land on Squire Thistlethwayte’s Southwick Park Estate. Not much could be done with it.

A surprise came on May 7th 1936: Southwick Park Estate abruptly sold 18.391 acres of Purbrook Heath to Havant & Waterloo UDC for the bargain price of £100, on condition that “the land… shall always hereafter be used for the purpose of a Recreation Ground.”

Council plans to develop the sports field were interrupted by World War II but, by May 1953, Purbrook Cricket Club had a brand new playing field hewn from Purbrook’s heathland. The conversion costs were £4,000.

Two cricket clubs shared the Heath: Purbrook and ambitious rivals Christ Church (who morphed into Portsdown in 1969). Both Portsdown and Purbrook were founder members of the Hampshire Cricket League in 1973. In November 1982, sensibly they amalgamated. The name of Purbrook Cricket Club, the senior club, was retained.

The Club now runs three Saturday league teams, a Sunday XI, and five vibrant Colts teams.

2015 represents a proud 200th anniversary for Purbrook Cricket Club. Happy birthday, Purbrook!

By
Andy Cragg
Posted on