1. The Beginning....
1948 Egham Squads
Back row: D Killick, V Best, M Warren, V Horton, D Dodd, G Bell, R Blackman, J Haynes, F Clarke, M Deamer, J Turney, R Robson, C Roberts, F Duval
Front row: J Johnson, G Heart, C Mills, M Varney, P Saunders, B Stoker,
W Tyrrell, P Eade, R Greave, J Palmer, P Standen. L Cheeseman
EGHAM CRICKET CLUB by Mark Kaltner
It is almost impossible to delve too far back into the past but records show that Egham Cricket Club was hiring rooms for its monthly Committee Meeting as early as 1860 and according to the Victoria History of Surrey, cricket was being played in Egham in 1750.
In 1913 the present club was formed bearing the name of Somers X1, after a Mr R Sommers who was its sponsor and solely responsible for all its activities. It had many fields of play including. Milton Park by courtesy of Baron and Baroness De Worms and Denham House.
Except for a short break from 1914 to 1918 due to war service, the X1 functioned under this name until 1923 when accommodation was made available by the old Egham Football Club on ground at Green Lane, Egham.
At that time, the club adopted the name of Denham Cricket Club. During that period there was also in existence a club called the Egham Town Cricket Club and records show that regular matches took place between the two clubs.
The Egham Town Club was subsequently disbanded in 1923. In 1928 the Club moved to land on the meads between Windsor Road and the Anglers Rest Hotel (now the Runnymede Hotel).
It was on Runnymede where the Barons bowled out King John.
The club played there until 1931 when a lease was obtained on adjacent land along the Windsor Road. This was in virgin condition and the members had the task of converting a wilderness of long grass into a cricket ground. There was no dressing accommodation, water or electricity supply and until these services were installed the players were dependent on
hedgerows for changing and a near by householder for hot water for the teas. Then another resident, who had moved into a new brick built house, presented the club with his old wooden bungalow that the members converted and erected as a pavilion.