Greatest Moment

Winning the League & Cup 'Double', 1987.

Local Hero

Joyce Booth, club stalwart and Huddersfield Central League Vice-President.

Bizarre Fact

The club was featured on a special Radio 4 documentary - 'Open Country' - in Summer 2005.

'Pepper-Corn' Payment

Some cricket clubs are a bit tardy in paying their annual ground rent, but not Thurstonland. They pay theirs as smartly as they can, because for almost three-quarters of a century it has remained constant: in 1928 the Norton Trust demanded a 'pepper corn' payment of five shillings; today the club treasurer writes out a cheque for 25p - and if he sends it off first-class, the stamp costs the club more than the actual rent payment!

The village of Thurstonland (originally 'Tostenland') is built on 'a hilly ridge that stretches from Sheffield to Castle Hill'; it lies almost equidistant from Honley and Holmfirth, six miles south of Huddersfield.

It was first settled by Scandinavians in the ninth century; today, it is a close-knit community (population c.500) that has benefited hugely from green-belt legislation prohibiting certain types of building and development.

Pub and a Post Office

A local estate agent lists the key features of Thurstonland: 'A Post Office, a First School, cricket club, village church and a fine village pub.'
In days gone by the place was famous for what John Spencer describes as its 'booming hill farming community', and also for a village idiot called Sneckum.

Now, it is well known for its sheep dog trials and its underground railway tunnel. In a recent article, Peter Hinchcliffe of the Huddersfield Examiner referred to the village of Thurstonland as the epitome of rural England, and it is difficult to disagree.

The character of the village is reflected in the cricket ground on Marsh Hall Lane (incidentally, a road famous for its winter snow drifts). An old poem about cricket at Thurstonland reads as follows:

The sun shone down in torrents, From a clear and cloudless sky,
The first eleven were batting,

And I was standing by,
One hundred runs were needed,

For Thurstonland to win the match;
I pulled, I drove, I cut,

Till the bowlers fell down exhausted,
And the fieldsmen cried ‘enough!’
Then, 'for goodness sake stop snoring',

Said my wife in deep disgust,
And she shook my shoulder with vigour,

And my lovely dream went bust.

Picturesque Setting

There are farmers' fields in close proximity to Marsh Hall Lane, the parish church looms large over the playing area, and there is only a modicum of housing round about. It is a peaceful, picturesque and radiant setting.

The jewel in the crown at Marsh Hall Lane is the pavilion building, which houses the two sets of changing rooms. Secretary, and author of the club's centenary history, Andrew Pearson explains: 'It's a delightful building. It dates from 1911 and we've still got the original architect's drawings somewhere. It's a wood structure, with a very attractive Edwardian front. We're hoping to secure some grants in the future to develop the building, but we will retain the unique frontage.'

The cricket club was formed back in 1874. The first recorded fixture took place on 6 May 1876 when Thurstonland entertained New Mill (the scorecard for this match is still in existence). League cricket was not yet a reality, so local cricketers challenged each other to single-wicket matches - with the losers paying for supper.

Before moving to its current home in 1901, the club had two other homes: Haw Cliff Lane, in the centre of the village, opposite the Rose and Crown pub and close to the post office, and Disney's Field, a local farmer's field.

Parson with a Wheelbarrow

Once they were safely installed in Marsh Hall Lane, the more energetic members of the club set about levelling the playing area, and the testimonies of former players indicate that you weren't allowed to play for the village team unless you'd chipped in to help the groundsman. We are told that, 'In addition, the Rev. Jerome, the local parson, was on several occasions able to give assistance with a wheelbarrow to move the large mounds of earth.'

In the early years, two of Thurstonland's most celebrated players were Charlie Mitchell (founder of a local motor engineering firm) and Herbert Walter ('a ferocious hitter of the ball who had the misfortune to lose the finger of his right hand in an accident, so anyone fielding in close was never quite sure whether he would be called upon to catch the ball, or the bat, as it occasionally flew from ‘erb's grip after a particularly big hit').

Also in this period, the local newspaper used to refer to the Thurstonlanders as the 'men from the hill', and teams from the Colne Valley often complained about playing at Marsh Hall Lane 'because of the inconvenience of getting to Thurstonland and doubts were also raised about the suitability of the field and changing accommodation'.

Into the Central League

Thurstonland joined the Huddersfield Central League in 1919 - at a cost of 10 shillings. And in 1920, Marsh Hall Lane played host to the 2nd XI final - a huge accolade - but unfortunately the club made a loss of 7/8 on the occasion. Around this time, the club also had connections with Stocksmoor Ladies cricket team, and actually lent them equipment.

The inter-war years were full of incident. In 1923 a fire at the local joinery works of Albert Gill was a blow because inside was parked the waggonette which used to convey the team and its tackle to many of its matches.

The fire occurred on the Monday morning, before the kit had been removed from the previous Saturday's match. In 1934 the club celebrated its Diamond Jubilee; on 5 September 1936 league points were forfeited for failing to raise a team; in 1937 the club protested about the new lbw law; and in 1938 the club won its first knockout trophy - the Holden Cup.

In recent decades, the club has built a new tea room; cleared an area of wild plants on the boundary's edge with the help of YTS helpers; bought an outfield mower and heavy roller; and acquired a licensed bar. The 1st XI has also won an array of titles.

Secretary Pearson says: 'The club is now an integral part of village life. The ground hosts the annual village gala, school and church events and meetings of the local playgroup. We've even catered for 90th birthdays and wedding receptions. We don't charge a fee, but we do make some money out of bar takings and the like. For a small village club, I feel we've got very good social facilities.'

And Pearson remains optimistic about the future: 'We've got 1st and 2nd XIs, plus teams at under-17, under-15 and under-13 levels, so things are healthy at the moment.'
The club is progressive in other areas. It boasts an excellent website and also publishes its own newsletter, Get A Third Man In!

This monthly publication features photos, results and fixtures, and news about all the various TCC sides. The newsletter also gives good publicity to the club’s sponsors – a mammoth 25 are listed in one recent edition.