Kidderminster Cricket Club Pre 1950 - The Origins of Cricket at Chester Road
Author: Ken Tomkinson and George Hall
Date: 10 Dec 2023
Although the Club had been in existence for some time before and was founded about I850, the opening match at Chester Road was played on August 20th I870. There was more freedom and less protocol in those days, so one side (Mr. Talbot's) fielded 27 players and the other side (Mr. News‘) only 13.
It is believed that the original five acre ground was made available for cricket by Mr. Lloyd of the Lion Hotel.
In 1871 the Club engaged its first “professional” named May from Nottingham at a salary of 25/- per week. In l873 the All England XI came to Chester Road to play against a Kidderminster and district team 22 strong in a three day match. All England made 118 runs; Kidderminster then proceeded to get in two innings of 52 and 54, losing the match by an innings and 12 runs.
Dr. William Gilbert Grace, was the most famous cricketer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His cricket career spanned 45 seasons from 1864 to 1908. His burly, bearded figure became familiar at cricket grounds all over the country and he drew great crowds of spectators. Dr Grace came to Chester Road Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 21st 1883 to play for Kidderminster in a friendly match advertised as "13 of Kidderminster versus 18 United Saxons." It was estimated that 3,000 persons were present to see the match which the Kidderminster 13 won handsomely by 221 runs to 80. W. G. Grace scored 58 runs and took 9 wickets.
By the 1920’s some of the most famous families in the town were providing regular players for the club and were to play a major part in its development for decades. The Club’s captains and Officials honours boards are well populated with Tomkinsons, Gethins, Anton’s and Humphries. One of them, Gerald Humphries offers some early memories, “My early recollection of cricket at Kidderminster is of the tall figure of Will Gethin, the Captain of the Club, leading his team of equally tall players in their white boots, white flannels and white shirts, including his eminent brother Stanley Gethin and a fiery wicket keeper called Teddy Gore, a great character, who although wounded several times in the great war still insisted on playing cricket. In the same team, about I920, was Len Thompson, nicknamed the Sergeant Major, still a member of St. Mary's Church Choir at 91, Alec Wilkes, a magnificent young man in the field, with an impressive Bromsgrove School striped blazer off the field which conquered the hearts of the fair sex, Reggie Brinton, the Higgins brothers from Hartlebury, who later played for Worcestershire with great success. Later in the summer Martin Tomkinson joined the team, a burly figure at mid-off and a magnificent hitter of the ball, usually first bounce into the crowd. Although the Kidderminster Cricket Club were nearly bottom of the Birmingham League they attracted a good gate of spectators."
Kidderminster joined the Birmingham League in I895. They have won the Championship of the League on many occasions and rarely finished out of the top 3 for the first 50 years. Chester Road Ground was also used for junior football, athletic sports meetings, balloon ascents, walking matches, aeroplane displays, lacrosse, archery, tennis, bowls, quoits and particularly hockey. Also the 7th Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment and the Yeomanry have given displays.
Originally the ground was rented from the Earl of Dudley for £20 per year. Michael Tomkinson came to the Club's aid when the ground was in danger of being sold. He purchased the ground and when the Committee had managed to raise nearly all the money, resold it to them, for the same price as he had paid for it and donated the difference.
Until 1890, the main Kidderminster Town Football club also played at Chester Road. For financial reasons, the 3 major clubs in the town – the town club, the Harriers and Olympic clubs (who played on Franche Road) all amalgamated and football ceased to be played on the ground.
By the start of the 20th century there was a thriving local cricket scene with 3 divisions largely based at local companies including, British Sugar Corporation, Foley Park, Steatite, S. W. S. Stourport, Jellymans, Naylors and C.M.C. The top division consisted of teams representing Brintons, Carpet Trades, Cookley, Highley, Victoria, Wilden, Tomkinsons and Grosvenor carpets.
By the 1920’s some of the most famous families in the town were providing regular players for the club and were to play a major part in its development for decades. The Club’s captains and Officials honours boards are well populated with Tomkinsons, Gethins, Anton’s and Humphries. One of them, Gerald Humphries offers some early memories, “My early recollection of cricket at Kidderminster is of the tall figure of Will Gethin, the Captain of the Club, leading his team of equally tall players in their white boots, white flannels and white shirts, including his eminent brother Stanley Gethin and a fiery wicket keeper called Teddy Gore, a great character, who although wounded several times in the great war still insisted on playing cricket. In the same team, about I920, was Len Thompson, nicknamed the Sergeant Major, still a member of St. Mary's Church Choir at 91, Alec Wilkes, a magnificent young man in the field, with an impressive Bromsgrove School striped blazer off the field which conquered the hearts of the fair sex, Reggie Brinton, the Higgins brothers from Hartlebury, who later played for Worcestershire with great success. Later in the summer Martin Tomkinson joined the team, a burly figure at mid-off and a magnificent hitter of the ball, usually first bounce into the crowd. Although the Kidderminster Cricket Club were nearly bottom of the Birmingham League they attracted a good gate of spectators."
By 1924 Sir Geoffrey Tomkinson had become Captain, and he collected players of county calibre and Kidderminster won the Championship. Jack Bowles, the professional, a fine left hand bowler and forcing bat was a giant of a man from Pershore who grew strawberries in his spare time. He bowled the first three Walsall batsmen one match with the first three balls of the innings. W. E. Richardson, fast bowler and wonderful story teller, Charles Anton, Alec Wyers, MacKinley, Ashton, and Greenwood. Sir Geoffrey used the occasion to launch an appeal to build a new pavilion and changing rooms which was opened in 1925.
In 1929 Charles Anton took over the Captaincy and was supported by new younger players such as Lawson Winwood, who later made a century for Worcestershire on his second county appearance, Harry Morgan from the Kidderminster League for fielding prowess, Pip Thorp from Brintons, Harvey Perry from the Victoria team and Gerald Humphries from Tomkinsons and Kidderminster won the League again.
In the 1930's Gerald Humphries became Captain and was followed by Harvey Perry, the most outstanding amateur bowler in the League, taking 86 wickets in one season and 85 in the next. Harvey played a few games for Worcestershire and would, no doubt have played many more if the Second World War had not interrupted his career.
After a poor start to the I946 season, under Gerald's Captaincy, a team including the three Humphries brothers and a Ceylonese, Laddie Outschoorn, won the Championship of the first division, but Kidderminster won the second division also, a performance never previously achieved.
In the meantime a strip of land behind the pavilion had been purchased which added to the size of the ground, and enabled the Kidderminster Hockey Club to play there.
WG Grace played for Kidderminster on the 21st July 1883
Although the Club had been in existence for some time before and was founded about I850, the opening match at Chester Road was played on August 20th I870. There was more freedom and less protocol in those days, so one side (Mr. Talbot's) fielded 27 players and the other side (Mr. News‘) only 13.
It is believed that the original five acre ground was made available for cricket by Mr. Lloyd of the Lion Hotel.
In 1871 the Club engaged its first “professional” named May from Nottingham at a salary of 25/- per week. In l873 the All England XI came to Chester Road to play against a Kidderminster and district team 22 strong in a three day match. All England made 118 runs; Kidderminster then proceeded to get in two innings of 52 and 54, losing the match by an innings and 12 runs.
Dr. William Gilbert Grace, was the most famous cricketer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His cricket career spanned 45 seasons from 1864 to 1908. His burly, bearded figure became familiar at cricket grounds all over the country and he drew great crowds of spectators. Dr Grace came to Chester Road Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 21st 1883 to play for Kidderminster in a friendly match advertised as "13 of Kidderminster versus 18 United Saxons." It was estimated that 3,000 persons were present to see the match which the Kidderminster 13 won handsomely by 221 runs to 80. W. G. Grace scored 58 runs and took 9 wickets.
By the 1920’s some of the most famous families in the town were providing regular players for the club and were to play a major part in its development for decades. The Club’s captains and Officials honours boards are well populated with Tomkinsons, Gethins, Anton’s and Humphries. One of them, Gerald Humphries offers some early memories, “My early recollection of cricket at Kidderminster is of the tall figure of Will Gethin, the Captain of the Club, leading his team of equally tall players in their white boots, white flannels and white shirts, including his eminent brother Stanley Gethin and a fiery wicket keeper called Teddy Gore, a great character, who although wounded several times in the great war still insisted on playing cricket. In the same team, about I920, was Len Thompson, nicknamed the Sergeant Major, still a member of St. Mary's Church Choir at 91, Alec Wilkes, a magnificent young man in the field, with an impressive Bromsgrove School striped blazer off the field which conquered the hearts of the fair sex, Reggie Brinton, the Higgins brothers from Hartlebury, who later played for Worcestershire with great success. Later in the summer Martin Tomkinson joined the team, a burly figure at mid-off and a magnificent hitter of the ball, usually first bounce into the crowd. Although the Kidderminster Cricket Club were nearly bottom of the Birmingham League they attracted a good gate of spectators."
Kidderminster joined the Birmingham League in I895. They have won the Championship of the League on many occasions and rarely finished out of the top 3 for the first 50 years. Chester Road Ground was also used for junior football, athletic sports meetings, balloon ascents, walking matches, aeroplane displays, lacrosse, archery, tennis, bowls, quoits and particularly hockey. Also the 7th Battalion the Worcestershire Regiment and the Yeomanry have given displays.
Originally the ground was rented from the Earl of Dudley for £20 per year. Michael Tomkinson came to the Club's aid when the ground was in danger of being sold. He purchased the ground and when the Committee had managed to raise nearly all the money, resold it to them, for the same price as he had paid for it and donated the difference.
Until 1890, the main Kidderminster Town Football club also played at Chester Road. For financial reasons, the 3 major clubs in the town – the town club, the Harriers and Olympic clubs (who played on Franche Road) all amalgamated and football ceased to be played on the ground.
By the start of the 20th century there was a thriving local cricket scene with 3 divisions largely based at local companies including, British Sugar Corporation, Foley Park, Steatite, S. W. S. Stourport, Jellymans, Naylors and C.M.C. The top division consisted of teams representing Brintons, Carpet Trades, Cookley, Highley, Victoria, Wilden, Tomkinsons and Grosvenor carpets.
By the 1920’s some of the most famous families in the town were providing regular players for the club and were to play a major part in its development for decades. The Club’s captains and Officials honours boards are well populated with Tomkinsons, Gethins, Anton’s and Humphries. One of them, Gerald Humphries offers some early memories, “My early recollection of cricket at Kidderminster is of the tall figure of Will Gethin, the Captain of the Club, leading his team of equally tall players in their white boots, white flannels and white shirts, including his eminent brother Stanley Gethin and a fiery wicket keeper called Teddy Gore, a great character, who although wounded several times in the great war still insisted on playing cricket. In the same team, about I920, was Len Thompson, nicknamed the Sergeant Major, still a member of St. Mary's Church Choir at 91, Alec Wilkes, a magnificent young man in the field, with an impressive Bromsgrove School striped blazer off the field which conquered the hearts of the fair sex, Reggie Brinton, the Higgins brothers from Hartlebury, who later played for Worcestershire with great success. Later in the summer Martin Tomkinson joined the team, a burly figure at mid-off and a magnificent hitter of the ball, usually first bounce into the crowd. Although the Kidderminster Cricket Club were nearly bottom of the Birmingham League they attracted a good gate of spectators."
By 1924 Sir Geoffrey Tomkinson had become Captain, and he collected players of county calibre and Kidderminster won the Championship. Jack Bowles, the professional, a fine left hand bowler and forcing bat was a giant of a man from Pershore who grew strawberries in his spare time. He bowled the first three Walsall batsmen one match with the first three balls of the innings. W. E. Richardson, fast bowler and wonderful story teller, Charles Anton, Alec Wyers, MacKinley, Ashton, and Greenwood. Sir Geoffrey used the occasion to launch an appeal to build a new pavilion and changing rooms which was opened in 1925.
In 1929 Charles Anton took over the Captaincy and was supported by new younger players such as Lawson Winwood, who later made a century for Worcestershire on his second county appearance, Harry Morgan from the Kidderminster League for fielding prowess, Pip Thorp from Brintons, Harvey Perry from the Victoria team and Gerald Humphries from Tomkinsons and Kidderminster won the League again.
In the 1930's Gerald Humphries became Captain and was followed by Harvey Perry, the most outstanding amateur bowler in the League, taking 86 wickets in one season and 85 in the next. Harvey played a few games for Worcestershire and would, no doubt have played many more if the Second World War had not interrupted his career.
After a poor start to the I946 season, under Gerald's Captaincy, a team including the three Humphries brothers and a Ceylonese, Laddie Outschoorn, won the Championship of the first division, but Kidderminster won the second division also, a performance never previously achieved.
In the meantime a strip of land behind the pavilion had been purchased which added to the size of the ground, and enabled the Kidderminster Hockey Club to play there.