Spotlight On: Cricket in Barley
Although cricket may have been played much earlier, the first recorded game of cricket played by the Barley Club was on the 13th of July 1846 when a team of gentlemen and Barley villagers defeated Barkway in a game probably played in the sheep meadow opposite The Chequers.
A return match was then played on the lawn at Newsells House. Thereafter the team played mainly on the Playstow, in the middle of the village, until in 1956 it began playing at Gale’s Field at Smith End.
In 1882, the year the Australians first defeated England, village cricket really took off nationally and Barley was again in the papers after playing two fixtures against Great Chishill. Other early fixtures included:
• Newsells
• Barkway
• Cokenach
• Royston YMCA
• Royston Town
• Royston Victoria XI as well as Langley, Chrishall and Sandon
By 1897, indigo blue and golden yellow were the team colours and caps were given to every player with golden silk Barleycorns embroidered on the front. Although George Casbon was top of the averages in 1898, for which he received a new bat, it wasn’t until 1973 that Roger Gorvin scored the first century for Barley which was followed just a week later by Alf Sheehan who scored the second.
In 1922, the Barley team, captained by Wilfred Wilkerson, won the District Cup and since then the team has often won either the Webber Cup or the Cambs Junior Cup, as well as Junior and Senior League titles along with many divisional titles.
In 1981, David Acfield, brought the Essex team to play Barley and ten years later, to celebrate the opening of the new Albert Gale Memorial Pavilion, the MCC also sent a team up to Barley.
2022 is the 175th season cricket has been played at Barley.
Join us for the 2022 season
For more information or to join Barley Cricket Club please contact: Neil Tyler (Secretary) 07711 787661 or Ed Whybrow (1st XI) 07947 458485
or email: barleycricketclub@gmail.com
