Walsall Cricket Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walsall Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club in Walsall, West Midlands, England, UK.
Their first and 2nd XIs currently play in the Birmingham and District Premier League Premier Division. They are a founder member of the Birmingham and District Cricket League, the oldest cricket league in the world, and they are also one of the most prominent cricket clubs in the country, winning the national club knockout cup in 1996, and being runners-up in 1991. They play their home games at Gorway, Walsall, a ground often used by Staffordshire County Cricket Club for Minor County Championship fixtures. During the 1970’s the Club began its rise to preeminence in Midland Cricket. The 1st XI Championship was won in 1972 and 1976. 1971 saw the debut of one of the greatest servants the Club has ever had, Nick Archer, who was to become a successful captain of Staffordshire and lead the Club during the most successful period in its history.
In 1977 the 3rd XI League was formed thanks to the efforts of Walsall stalwart Barrie Middleton and Stourbridge’s John Huband. This meant that there was regular League cricket for the rapidly expanding Youth Section of the Club. With Tom Pearsall at the helm the Club began to develop a popular Friday Evening nets session and coaching for large number of young players.
The section flourished to such an extent that the Sunlife U15 National Knock Out Competition was won three years running by the Club in the early eighties. A large number of youngsters progressed through the Junior ranks into the three senior teams. So much so that the Club won the 1st Division title 7 times in the eighties and nineties and finished runners up on five occasions.
The 2nd XI were even more successful gaining 8 Championships and being runners up on 8 occasions. The 3rd XI also had their successes, winning their League on 9 occasions and finishing runners up on 4 occasions.
The success of the Club during this period culminated in a memorable season, 1996, when all three teams won their respective League titles and the 1st XI won the Abbott Ale Cup Final at Lord’s defeating Chorley. This made up for the defeat suffered at the hands of Teddington in the 1991 final.
The Club was fortunate, during this period, not only to have the constant flow of young talent from the Junior Section but to have the services of players like Nick Archer, Steve Dean (both captains of Staffordshire), Dave Clarke and probably one of the best bowlers to grace the Birmingham League, Keith Arnold, who took 435 wickets in his 8 seasons with the Club.
The reorganisation of cricket in the West Midlands towards the end of the 1990’s has given the Club its greatest challenge, that is, to remain as one of the pre-eminent Clubs in the area. The Youth Section continues to flourish, the Club has bought the ground back from the Council and the committee are looking for ways to develop the Club and its facilities to match any ground in the area.
