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Club History
Although there is archival evidence that cricket was played in the village before 1914, it was not until 1931 that the Cranbourne Cricket Club was founded. At that time Cranbourne, a small village situated in the English County of Berkshire some six miles from Windsor, was a semi isolated and largely self dependant rural community. It was to this community that Captain Frank T Mann introduced club cricket. Captain Mann retired in 1931 from a career in first class cricket that had begun in 1909. He had appeared for Cambridge University and as a leading amateur had captained both Middlesex, in the County Championship and the England tour of South Africa in 1922/23. Mann's two sons, F G and J P were also involved in the Cranbourne Club's early days. Both followed their father to Cambridge and played county cricket with Middlesex. The elder, George, captained the county for two years, to third place in 1948 and to a share of the championship in 1949. He also led the successful England tour of South Africa in 1948/49, scoring a forceful 136 not out in the fifth test match. There followed the captaincy in two drawn, three day test matches against a determined New Zealand in 1949, which ended F G Mann's international career. F G subsequently chaired the Test! and County Cricket Board and was president of the MCC in 1984/85. Our regret at his passing in August 2001 was noted in the Committee Meeting Minutes.
Cranbourne Cricket Club made its home on the Lovell Road recreation ground Cranbourne, where for some years the facilities were basic. The situation was greatly improved when in 1936 the president presented the club with a new pavilion. This 40' x 18' wooden structure was reputed to have started life as a temporary licensed premises. Considering the Mann's family connection with the Brewery that formerly carried their name, its history is likely to be true. During the war years of 1939-45 the Cranbourne Club amalgamated with Royal Ascot CC and this gave rise to a later statement by a member to the effect that "even Hitler could not stop Cranbourne from playing its cricket". With the war over, an aging local populace became progressively less able to support the village club unaided and players were recruited from elsewhere. The Mann family themselves moved out of the area in the 1950's and although Frank Mann remained as Founder/President until his death on 6 October 1964, the club was deprived of much of the support on which it had relied for more than twenty years. The younger son, John Pelham Mann, whose death was announced on 8 September 2002, captained Eton at cricket in 1937 and in five other sports. Missing his Blue through injury in 1939 he, like his brother, had a distinguished war record. He played County Championship Cricket throughout the 1946 season, claiming that his "bat scored more runs for Middlesex in that year than any other" - adding after a pause "mostly in the hands of Denis Compton". John Mann subsequently pursued a successful career in commerce, here and in the USA.
The current club membership have good reason to be grateful to the Mann family, for their interest. By the early 1970's only two regular club players were resident within the parish boundary. Much of the work of preparing pitches etc. fell on them. There were increasing problems also with the drainage on the Lovell Road ground. Many matches were cancelled and inevitably the closure of the Cranbourne Club was contemplated. In the event the decision was taken, in 1973, that Cranbourne should reduce its connections with the village and organise its programme on a wandering basis. This situation in fact pertained only for the season of 1974.
During the winter of 1974/75 the tenancy of the No. 5 cricket ground on Home Park, Windsor unexpectedly became vacant. Cranbourne were fortunate to obtain the tenancy in time for the season of 1975 and the site remains our home today. The playing characteristics of the ground are generally good. Home Park is an area of Crown land, under the shadow of Windsor Castle, part of which is dedicated to the public use for sports. It supports more than twenty club interests. The most widely known of these is probably the Royal Windsor Horse Show, held on the ground in May of each year.The public area is managed by the local authority and a committee representing all the clubs is instrumental in organising a considerable degree of co-operation between the varying interests.
The pavilion is situated on the No 5 ground, in 1975, left much to be desired. In 1977, therefore, the membership removed the pavilion from Lovell Road and re-erected it on the Home Park. The building was completed in readiness for the opening of the season of 1978. The re-erection involved a great co-operative effort and brought together an enthusiastic membership that remained largely loyal to the club for the next 10 to 12 years. Some of those members remain with the club today. During this period we were able to support a list of 52 to 54 fixtures with a regular membership of no more than 21 or 22. In 1975 also the club undertook its first Devonshire tour. A wet September weekend in South Devon. Since then an annual tour of North Devon has developed and nine matches are regularly scheduled.
For many years Cranbourne has welcomed club cricketers from overseas who are living and/or working in the United Kingdom. It was one of these, John Rezko, former vice captain, who organised a four week tour of eastern Australia, in February 2001. It is perhaps best to draw a veil over the results of the eight matches played but the tour was much enjoyed by all who took part. For the season of 2002, in addition to the normal fixtures in the local area and the Devon tour, Cranbourne took to 2 additional mini-tours, firstly to the Isle of Wight and then to Trentino Italy.
By the early nineteen nineties Cranbourne found some of its long established members were moving elsewhere or finding less time to devote to cricket that hitherto. In common with many other clubs recruiting new members had become very difficult and for a couple of seasons it was not always possible to field a full eleven for every match. It was thanks to the club management of the time, that was ably led by chairman Dr Michael Cullen and Club Captain Robert Jones the player shortage is now behind us. Luckily, since then membership of the club has continued to rise, with many players available for most games throughout the year.
It remains the policy of Cranbourne Cricket Club to play the friendly cricket that was the norm in the south of England until the 1960's.
All of our members are given their opportunity to play the game, whatever their talents, consistent always with the endeavour to provide our opposition with cricket that they will not readily forget.
Michael Elton. Club President, 21st January 2002
Updated by Dave Dainty, 14th November 2007
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