Greatest Moment

Hosting the Australian Tourists in 1878.

Local Hero

Derek Gledhill – longtime official and ‘Mr Elland’.

Bizarre Fact

In 1880 Elland CC played a fixture against a team of cricketing clowns.

Club in Numbers

2 - Number of times Elland have won the Huddersfield League ‘double double’. In 1979 and 1989 both the First and Second XIs finished the season as league and cup winners.

3d - Cost of admittance to Yorkshire Council cricket fixtures for men in the early nineteenth century.

Pies, Beer and Raincoats

Elland - well known for quarrying, paving stones, Gannex raincoats and the fourteenth-century 'Feud' that took place between families in the town - possesses a rich cricketing heritage.

The club, which formerly, and briefly, existed as Providence Independent Sunday School CC, was formed in 1860.

One of its early encounters was against local rivals Brighouse: 'The Brighouse umpire game too many lbw decisions against the Elland team with the result that he was chased off the field but he managed to escape to a safe place.

The game was stopped and the Elland Committee complained because their pies and beer had not been bought!'

Hull to Hullen Edge

In its early years, the club played at Elland Lane (the other side of town from its current site).

They were founding members of the Yorkshire Cricket Council and thus took on the likes of Hull CC. (At one such fixture, around the turn of the century, women were admitted to the ground free of charge, while men had to pay 3d).

In 1876 Elland moved to Hullen Edge Road, and in 1926 the club decided to join the Huddersfield League (a 'happy day for local cricket,' according to one observer).

Today, the ground is in tip-top shape. Club secretary Derek Gledhill explains: 'There's a slight slope from side to side but it's a big playing area and a big square - there is a choice of 16 strips. We have got a full-time groundsman and the fact that we get a Yorkshire 2nd XI game each year is testimony to the quality of the arena.'

Sir John's Gift

Two events dominate the history of Elland CC (or Elland Cricket, Athletic and Bowling Club, as it is formally known).

The first took place in 1887 when the Hullen Edge ground, plus the nearby recreation field, was given as a gift to the townspeople by Sir John Savile (in celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee).

Forty-five years later, on 1 September 1932, Elland CC bought the Hullen Edge Road from the Savile Estate for £1,000.

In the years following, Elland cleared off its debts and gained a sizeable membership. In 1957, the club proposed that on matchdays, league clubs should substitute ground collections for fixed-rate admission charges.

This issue was the subject of much debate, but in the end Elland's motion was passed, although clubs retained the option to operate either system.

Here Come the Aussies!

The second memorable event occurred in June 1878 when Hullen Edge played host to a never-to-be-forgotten fixture between the '18 of Elland' and the first Australian tourists (who included Messrs Spofforth, Bannerman, Gregory and Boyle in their ranks).

Thomas Tong turned out for the home side and, as the Halifax Courier said, 'he could recall vividly the three-day match…which attracted excellent attendances including hundreds from Halifax and Huddersfield.

His most outstanding recollection of the match was facing the fearsome Australian bowler, "Demon" Spofforth, in the second innings when the Ellanders were facing an uphill battle.

After scoring a single, Mr Tong was struck in the face by a rising ball from the Demon and sustained a broken nose.

Pluckily, he continued batting, adding another single, before being caught by Murdoch.

During the second innings, Spofforth took 10 wickets for 35 runs and the Australians won the match easily with scores of 90 and 85 to 29 and 66.'

It should also be noted that Aussie bowler Boyle took seven wickets in eight balls during one sequence in the match. (In 1886, Elland played another tourist side - the Parsees from India - and were defeated again).

Shooting and Tennis

There are other key dates in the history of the ground:

1889: First bowling green laid.

1891: Running track built around the perimeter of the ground.

1899: New pavilion built.

1905: Players' wives were asked to 'manage the tea and eatables department'.

1907: Arthur Naylor became professional and groundsman.

1914: Committee resigns over its decision to ban professional shooting matches due to the gamblers they were attracting; annual athletics meetings ceased with the outbreak of war.

1915: First tennis courts constructed.

1921: The former wooden chapel at Ripon army camp was bought for use as a tea room and dressing rooms.

1956: Women allowed in the bar for the first time.

1957: Ex-Yorkshire and England bowler Bill Bowes opens games room (now the pool room).

1977: Red Rum opens the Baines Hall (which replaced the 1921 building).

1985: Ealandians FC first use the adjacent football pitch.

In 1951, a representative of the Huddersfield League argued that, 'the Elland club has probably the finest amenities of any club in the league…delightfully positioned and well conducted.' Today, these remarks still hold good.

In recent years Hullen Edge has hosted Yorkshire 1st XI and 2nd XI fixtures, and throughout its history, Elland CC have won more than their fair share of silverware.

Ambition and Rising Status

Elland CC in the 1870s and 1880s.
In the late 1870s and 1880s the rising status and ambition of Elland Cricket Club was reflected in a series of major matches which were played at Hullen Edge.

Staging this type of ‘big match’ cricket, against leading touring XI’s, had been a common way of attracting prestige for clubs in the district since the 1840s.

During this time, leading players came together to form teams which
could be hired to play matches against local and district sides of varying numbers. This meant that nearly all the great cricketers of this era could be seen regularly at local cricket grounds each year.

Not surprisingly, these matches were the major events of the season. The 1846 All England XI, which was the first to tour the country in this way, played at Leeds during its initial season and regular annual matches were played by this team, and the
others which followed its lead, in Huddersfield, Halifax, Dewsbury, Batley, Todmorden, Bradford and elsewhere in Yorkshire.

The most famous of these
‘big matches’ to be held at Elland was the first one, against the 1878
Australian Tourists.

'Exceptional Treat'

Halifax Guardian June 8th 1878:

‘The public spirit of the Ellanders has once again come to the front and, by the engagement of the Australian Cricketers, thousands of people, round and square, have been offered an opportunity of witnessing one of the finest treats
that could have been provided. The treat was all the more exceptional
because the match…was only the fifth which the antipodeans have played upon this side of the water, three out of the five moreover, having been at Nottingham, at Lords and at Kennington Oval, whilst only one, that against Yorkshire, has approached this division of the country.’

'Enterprising Men'

Halifax Courier June 8th 1878

‘The Australian Eleven begin a three day’s match with Eighteen of Elland and District on Thursday. The Elland Club has been coming steadily to the front for some years. It has at last reached the foremost place in the Halifax district, Halifax its self having possessed no really first class club since the dissolution of trinity. The Elland men seem most enterprising, proof of which his found in their having at so early a period in the stay of the Australian Cricketers
engaged in a match with them.’

'Amusing the Spectators'

Halifax Courier August 7th 1880

'THE PERIPATETIC CRICKETERS AT ELLAND Yesterday Caseys peripatetic cricketers commenced a two days match with 15 of Elland Cricket Club. One of the players, Dugwar, is a juggler and equilibrist: the rest of the Clowns do not play cricket but greatly amuse the spectators between the innings and as the game proceeds with jokes, acrobatic feats and whimsicalities. It was intended to give a grand variety entertainment last evening after the wickets were drawn, a very good programme being arranged, but a thunderstorm coming on at six-o-clock, the programme could not be proceeded with. There will be such an entertainment today, of course
bweather permitting, and we are told it is well worth seeing, with such tricks as were done yesterday during the match the spectators were greatly amused.'

'Rain Stopped Play'

Halifax Courier August 14th 1880

Rain ruined the second day of the Caseys match at Elland and the paper said:

‘This was extremely unfortunate, as the Elland Club had gone to great
expense in securing Caseys’ team. By these two unlucky days they lose as much as £25.’

But, despite the weather, Caseys had been enough of a success for them to be booked the following season.