Ormskirk Cricket Club’s journey to their present home at Brook Lane
ORMSKIRK Cricket Club has a long and distinguished history in the town. Thanks to Mr Kenneth Lee there is a wealth of history recorded in his publication ‘175 years of Ormskirk Cricket Club’.
Kenneth has shared the following details...
Ormskirk Cricket Club’s Journey to Brook Lane – 1835-1878
The cricket club was founded in 1835. It was based on very loose arrangements between young men of the town who were interested in cricket, a game which had not developed as quickly in the North as in the South, by almost 100 years.
The North was too busy with the Industrial Revolution.
Working conditions did not allow the men to play during the day as their hours were long. Games were banned on Sundays. So they met early in the morning before going to work and would play on any field made available to them by a friendly farmer. The pitch would be roughly prepared. They were very Victorian in their attitude to the game and sang “God Save The Queen” before each game and were very disciplined in the way they played and behaved.
They called themselves “The Break O’ Day Boys”.
As time progressed, a formal club emerged, with Lord Skelmersdale as its president. He was taught cricket at Balliol College. They still did not have a permanent home. No doubt a farmer would accommodate Lord Skelmersdale’s pleas!
The newly formed Southport Visiter printed a report of a match with St Helens Cricket Club in 1853, when the field of play was at Woodlands Farm, Ruff (Rough) Lane.
The field is now part of Edge Hill University Entrance Gate.
In 1862, Ormskirk Club moved to Drapers Field, part of the old Grammar School playing field in St Helens Road, although its location was nearer to Altys Lane. 1868 saw another move to Southport Road and a field which is now part of The Civic Hall gounds.
Island House, Parrs Lane, Aughton, had been used by the then disbanded Aughton Cricket Club, and it became home to Ormskirk Cricket Club in 1868.
Travelling to Aughton proved too much for the members so in 1870, another field at Elm Place,
Brook Lane was leased from Lord Derby.
The members were very happy there and began to improve conditions of play and accomodation. A professional cricketer was hired for 1877. Then, in 1876, permission to build a Cotton Mill on the land was obtained and the club’s lease cancelled.
Lord Derby was sympathetic to their needs, however, and offered the present land at Brook
Lane to the club, which it accepted on lease, with pleasure.
In 1924 the land was purchased from Lord Derby, with a condition that it can be used only for sporting purposes.
Developments and improvements to the land and buildings are always continuing.
The pictures depict the story of the development and strength of the club, the players of which are still waiting for play to resume!