Bowled over

Hull Zingari Cricket Club’s 125th Anniversary year

MIKE Ulyatt gives a brief history of the Hull Zingari Cricket Club who celebrate 125 years of playing continuous cricket in Hull this year.

The history of the Hull Zingari

Cricket Club can be traced back to the summer of 1896 when Arnold B Smith and Arthur WW Marshall were employed at Stephen Brothers (Seed Crushers) in Little High Street. An inaugural meeting was held in the Imperial Hotel in Paragon Street.

The name Zingari is of Italian descent and means ‘wanderer’ as the club did not have a ground of their own, playing behind the Haworth Arms, then at the Sailors Children Society and Hull YPI before buying their own ground on Salt Ings Lane (now Chanterlands Avenue North) in 1910, where they still play at the Hull and East Riding Sports Club, sharing facilities with badminton, squash and football clubs. Zingari marked 100 years at the ground in 2010 and to mark the centenary, Jim Parks jnr brought an Old England XI including John Lever MBE, Clive Radley MBE, Shaun, Udal, Jim Love, Wayne Larkins, Monte Lynch, and Zingari won with the last ball of the match.

Zingari were founder members of the East Riding Amateur League, the East Yorkshire Cup Competition, the Pennant Alliance League, the East Riding Sunday League and the Humberside Federation League and they won the Circle Cup a record 13 times.

In 1999, Zingari won the last East Yorkshire Cup Competition Knockout Cup, beating Pickering CC by six wickets.

The AJ Leake six-a-side competition and the annual tours were features of the club’s season for many years.

Notable cricketers to have turned out for the club include future New Zealand captains Ken Rutherford and Lee Germon, Jimmy Binks (Yorkshire CCC) Stuart Mclaren (Scotland), Andrew Caro (MD of the World Series Cricket under Kerry Packer 1978-79), Actor Brian Rix, Claude Hamill (Headmaster of Riley High School), Len Clark (Hull Kingston Rovers), Rodger Booth (High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire 2006), JV Rank (son of James Rank) and Sam Elstone (Scotland U19 in the 2022 World Cup and Somerset CC).

Zingari currently field four teams in the York and District Senior Cricket League and have a thriving junior section. Any new members will receive a warm welcome.

As the Hull Zingari Cricket Club prepares for its 125th season this year, we delve into our archives to look back at images of past teams, matches and players. Pictured here in July, 1994; Dave Fishwick bowls for Zingari

YOUNG HOTSHOTS: Hotshots youth sport action with the match of the day feature game. This was an under-11’s cricket cup match between Hull Zingari and YPI played at Hull Zingari CC in August, 2008. Here Jack Gillingwater steals a single as Ellis Barkworth can’t reach the ball.

SEVENTIES STYLE: Team picture dated August, 1977, with (rear from left) MF Donsworth, D Fairbank, JE Higo, JA Horsley, RA Biggs (front, from left) MD Fitzgerald, P Ellis, TC Markham, RC Muse and T Keech.

CRICKET COURSE: Children were pictured at the Hull Zingari Cricket Club’s ‘Cricket Is Fun’ coaching day, held in 1999, with the backing of the Yorkshire Cricket Board. More than 70 children under age 14 turned up for the course.

ALUMNI MATCH: A match to celebrate the Hull Zingari Cricket Club’s centenary, held between the current team and a team made of former players was held at the club’s ground on Chanterlands Avenue in Hull in June, 1996. The former players vice-captain, Len Clark (left) and current captain John Fishwick shook hands with Hull Zingari Club Chairman Howard Barker (looking on).

TOP TROPHY: Zingari president George Macdonald (right) admires the Hull Town CC Knockout Trophy previously won by the club, at the club’s annual dinner of the Chanterlands Avenue Club, held at the Jackson’s Restaurant in March, 1975. Also looking on are (from left) T Markham, MF Donsworth, E Nicholls and TP Ellis.

AWARDS NIGHT: Pictured at the Hull Zingari Cricket Club players awards, held at the Royal Hotel in Hull in November, 1994, are (from left) Matthew Dex, James Dex, Darren Nitherwick, Mike Ulyatt, Mark Robinson, Kevin Deighton, Howard Barker (President), Vince Shore and Wes Smith.

NEW GEAR: Young player Shaun Edwards was pictured in 1999 wearing head gear similar to the 20 cricket helmets that the club had just ordered from India.