GILBERDYKE CRICKET CLUB
                                    
A BRIEF HISTORY (Compiled in July 2004)

Gilberdyke Cricket Club in it's present form is a relatively new club with cricket returning to the village in 1998 after a near 40 year absence.

Like many other village cricket teams the club has a history which pre dates the 1920s, information on the early years of the club is a bit sketchy but we will try and fill in some of the gaps and bring you up to the present date.

From the 1920s Gilberdyke had two cricket teams, one was the Gilberdyke village team which played on the existing playing field next to the village hall and the other was Gabriel, Wade and English, a works team which made telegraph poles and played in a field next to the existing Wards Hotel situated on the main road. In the early 1930s the works team moved to a new ground near the railway station until another move meant a ground share with the Gilberdyke village team, this continued up to the outbreak of world war two with both clubs playing in the Howdenshire Saturday league, one team would play at home one week and the other team would play at home the following week.

After the end of the war Gabriel, Wade and English cricket club disbanded which left just the Gilberdyke team to continue playing it's fixtures at the village hall playing field. The club continued in the then two divisional Howdenshire League playing against teams such as Howdendyke, Skelton, Melbourne, Yokefleet, Eastrington, Howden, Newport, Bubwith, North Duffield, Hemingbrough and Saltmarshe. The ground at Gilberdyke was quite narrow and on one occasion in a match against North Duffield the opposition batsmen struck a ball which flew over the road went through a window and nestled in a trifle on the dining room table, Nobby Clark from North Duffield who was at the non strikers end at the time remembers the incident very well as it was he who took the blame from an irate lady of the house. The only remaining evidence that cricket was played on the village hall playing field is in the form of a concrete strip located on the field and at the back of the houses on St Stephen's Crescent, matting was place over this at the time for use as a practice facility. The names of some of the players who played for the village team in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s may be familiar to some people, Alan Exley, Jack Exley, L Exley, Jack Morris, Frank Nicholson, Jack Winn, Charlie Winn, Tommy Lindsey, Arthur Stather, Dennis Gray, Tommy Norton, George Richardson, Jack Green, Albert Jibson, Dick Bullement, H Clark, Brian McMann, Keith Baker, J Reed, John Todd, Eric Dilcock and the last known captain of the side Alan Williamson.

In the early 1960s part of the field used by the cricket club was sold off and used for  housing development and the building of a new school, the cricket club had nowhere else to play so they disbanded and the players dispersed joining other local clubs, cricket would not return to the village until 1998.

In the 1970s the Howdenshire Saturday League had changed to an Evening League under the same name, a nomadic works team from the nearby Broomfleet brickyard began playing in the league under the name of Henry Williamsons, as they did not own their own ground they played all their fixtures away from home. Future name changes to Crossleys and Wallingfen would follow through the 1980s and early 1990s with a brief ground sharing arrangement with Eastrington sandwiched in between. Stalwarts and main organisers of the teams at the time were Jack St Paul, 'Tabby' Walmsley, John Thompson, Tony Kirk and Pete Morris, Pete is still a valued member of Gilberdyke Cricket Club and has put in many an hour working on and maintaining the ground.  As the Wallingfen team were predominately made up of players from the village of Gilberdyke it was decided that the club should change it's name, and in 1993 the club was renamed Gilberdyke Cricket Club. In 1994 playing under the same name the club ground shared with Howden at the Ashes playing field and in 1995 they were able to field an A and B side in the Howdenshire Evening League before reverting back to one team in 1997.

In the early 1990s the Gilberdyke and District Leisure Association was formed with the intention of improving the sporting facilities in the village. A piece of agricultural land was purchased at Ings View on the edge of the village just off the main road and the process began, a cricket square and artificial wicket were laid together with a bowling green, although the cricket square was professionally laid the club had to wait between two and three years for it to bed in and be ready for use.
On Tuesday 19th May 1998 cricket returned to the village of Gilberdyke when the home team played Carlton Towers in a Howdenshire Evening League fixture which Gilberdyke won by four wickets. As the existing multi purpose pavilion would not be built until 2000 teams playing cricket had to get changed in the nearby scout hut. As interest grew and the club became established after finally having a proper home at last, it was decided to enter a team in the East Yorkshire Alliance Saturday League for the 1999 season, success followed shortly after with the club winning their only honour to date by lifting the division six title in 2000. In 2002 the club entered a team in the newly formed Hunsley and District Junior League in addition to it's continued commitment to the East Yorkshire Alliance and Howdenshire Evening Leagues.

At the present time the club are optimistic for the future as it continues to prosper both on and off the field, membership is increasing each year, more juniors have been attracted to the club, new practice facilities were put in place during June 2004, strong links have been forged with the local primary school and a strong coaching team has been established.

The game may have changed over the years but the desire to promote and encourage people to enjoy the great game of cricket within the village community of Gilberdyke is as strong as ever.

July 2004

Page Updated Feb 2009

The club has recently been given old local league handbooks from seasons 1949, 1950 and 1952. These make very interesting reading and a typical Howden and district league list of fixtures for the 1949 and 1952 seasons are shown below :-

       1949 Season                                   1952 Season

            Eastrington B v Holme B                                                   Howden Town v Barlby & Osgodby

            Barmby v Heminborough B                                              Holme v Eastrington

  Cliffe v Sandholme                                                              Hemingborough v Melbourne

            Gilberdyke v Wardles                                                          Newport v Foggerthorpe

            Yokefleet v Hotham                                                              Gilberdyke v Wressle

                                                                                         Cliffe v Barmby                                                            

The secretary of Gilberdyke Cricket Club in 1949 and 1950 was Mr G Snowden in 1952 the secretary was Mr J Todd of Cheapsides Gilberdyke. The Howden league at the time was a Saturday league with an annual subscription of 10 shillings.  This recent addition was received courtesy of Mrs Jibson of Gilberdyke and we thank her for this information.

Further contributions to the history section would be most welcome, please contact Rob Branton (Web Site administrator) or Andy Pitts with details.

Updated 18th Feb 2009

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