Our Club

In July of the year 1745, eleven maids of Surrey Hambledon, “dressed all in white” played a match against eleven maids of Bramley on Gosden Common, Bramley and defeated them by 127 notches to 119. This fact is known from a press report given in the Reading Mercury dated 16th. August 1745 which describes this as “the greatest match that was ever played in the south part of England” and comments on the unprecedented size of the crowd (of both sexes) which would suggest that cricket in Hambledon was not then confined to the gentler sex.

There is also a report in 1844 in the Hambledon Village School Log Book at the Surrey History Centre, that the Rector commanded that a large number of children absent from school on account of “a grand cricket match in the village” were to be punished.

The above would suggest that cricket has been played at Hambledon for at least 170 years. However, most probably cricket has been played in the village for over 260 years. Although there are old photographs and minute books going back to the early 1920’s there are no other older records to substantiate these claims.

Pavilion

The Club has had a number of pavilions on the cricket green, some of these are shown in old photographs going back before the 1920’s. The previous pavilion to the modern one at present was built in 1951/1952 when the cricket green was given to the village. The pavilion had its own special characteristics, with fold down shutters, opening up the dressing rooms, tea room and kitchen to the over hang frontal veranda. The full facilities however, were not up to the modern day requirements for either senior or younger player’s usage. There were no facilities for the disabled and the female toilet was a lean-to situated outside the main building. 

In 2001, the decision to replace the old pavilion with a new pavilion was made by Hambledon Cricket Green Trust and Hambledon CC. Fund raising activities for the building of a new pavilion were undertaken by HCC and in four years enough capital was raised, with grants from Waverley BC and a 10 year loan from Surrey Playing Field Association to enable a new pavilion to be built.

So after 50 years of use the old pavilion was replaced in 2004 with a new modern timber clad building with two dressing rooms with toilet and shower facilities, together with a modern kitchen and club room suitable for disabled access and disabled facilities.