HICKLING LANE, KINOULTON, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
President: Ken Keyworth
Club History
It is not known when Kinoulton Cricket Club was formed although local tradition dates the club back to at least the early part of the century. The earliest known evidence is a photograph which dates from 1924 when the club had an enviable record of played 17, won 12, drawn 4, and lost 1. Before World war 2 the club was playing in the First Bradshaw field on the opposite side of Hickling Lane from the present ground. No cricket appears to have been played during the period of the war when the club's pavilion was relocated to near the Lime Kiln Public House, to be utilised as base for the Home Guards.
After the War, Kinoulton Boys cut a wicket in Bert Herrick's field, adjacent to the council houses on Owthorpe Lane. However, there was criticism of the field due to its substantial ridge and furrow and shortly after, a flat field at Barn Farm (on the corner of the sharp bend to Cropwell Bishop) was used. Score sheets from 1947 and 1948 reveal that the Boys played against a number of local villages, cycling to away fixtures, including Hickling, Long Clawson, Cropwell Bishop and Stanton on the Wolds.
Due to the intensification in farming practices, Mr Brumpton of Barn Farm asked the Boys to vacate the field. The Captain, Alan Oxby, approached Mr George Keyworth of Village Farm who readily agreed to the Boys request to make a wicket in his field on Hickling Lane (the present ground). The field was ridge and furrow but the boys flattened an area of land to form a square. In 1949, Kinoulton 'Ancients' challenged Kinoulton Boys to a match on the 16th June. Shortly thereafter, a further challenge match Saw Kinoulton Boys beat Kinoulton 'Over 18' (who included in their side, the current President of the Club, Mr Ken Keyworth). From these challenge matches, the adult participants reformed Kinoulton Cricket Club with the first recorded minutes of the Club dating from 29th October 1949 when the following committee was elected:
Chairman :F.Peat. Treasurer:.J .Oliver. Secretary: D.K.Turton. Captain :W.Bonser.
Committee Hembers: A.Taylor, B.Gardner, A.Oxby & B.Bruin.
The pavilion was returned from near the Lime Kiln to the Hickling Lane ground where it was placed on a concrete base. Fixtures were arranged on Saturdays against other teams, teas were provided for the opposition. Rules for the Cricket Club were compiled by Arthur Salt and adopted at the 1950 Annual General Meeting. At this time the club appears to have plenty of players because Mike Keyworth was elected 2nd XI Captain and in 1955, Terry Copley was elected Captain of the Belvoir Evening League team. Sadly, this did not continue, the late 50's and 60's
saw the club struggle to
raise teams.
The expansion of the village in the latter part of the 60's brought benefits and question marks for the club. The benefit was that a number of new members joined the club.
However, concerns were expressed by members regarding the potential development of the ground to provide houses. This fear proved to be groundless and the club adopted a more positive approach towards the future with the start of a development fund to provide a new pavilion.
The 1970s were a very active period for the club and its members. Since the club was reformed after the War, the club occupied the ground by virtue of an informal lease agreement with the Keyworth family at Village Farm. In 1971 Edwin offered to sell the ground to the club. 1974 saw the club purchase the ground with support of grant aid and substantial fund raising. In 1975 the ridge and furrow was levelled and the ground drained.
The club purchased a prefabricated bungalow from Papplewick, dismantled it in sections, re-erected it on a concrete base and built a new toilet block. The new pavilion was officially opened by Mike Harris of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club on 27rd May 1977 and commemorated by a match between the Club and a Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club XI.
The club continued to play friendly cricket voting not to join the newly formed South Notts Village League in 1972. However the club did enter the Haig National Village Competition but more than not went out at the first round.
Peter Addison and Don Yaxley encouraged juniors to play cricket, matches were arranged and a positive decision was made to select them for Saturday fixtures.
A lack of players in the middle 80's saw the club join the South Notts Village
League in 1986 and for the next ten years the club played its cricket in Division 4. The influx of players that was expected by playing league cricket never materialised.
In 1995 the club began a complete transformation, a development plan was structured for both on and off the field of play and it is still ongoing. The following years saw a full list of Sunday friendly matches, midweek touring teams visited and the membership accepted in 1997 to the Belvoir Evening League.
The ground and its facilities were and still are being improved. A new pavilion was opened
by the Mayor of Rushcliffe, Roy Butler in July 2000, an artificial wicket was laid, a new scorebox and practice nets were erected, sight screens installed and extensive drainage to the cricket outfield took place.
Mike Smith, Andrew and David Richards invited youngsters to coaching sessions on
a Wednesday night during the summer months and ·now the club has teams playing Kwik cricket, u10, u11, u12, u13, u15. The teams compete in the Nottingham Evening Youth League and the Newark & District Colts League. Several Kwik Tournaments have been won, the first being in 2000, the under 13's won the first hardball championship in 2002, since then several teams have been runners-up and cup finalists.
September 2005 saw the club awarded ECB clubmark accreditation, coaching is now on a Friday night and last year we had over 100 boys and girls attending. Girls are being coached to play both soft and hardball and in 2006 featured in organised tournaments. The club started indoor coaching at Kinoulton, Keyworth and Cropwell Bishop Primary Schools.
Many of the talented juniors now play in the adult teams and this is beginning to pay dividends. The Belvoir Evening League Championship was won for the first time in 2005 and in 2006 we had to settle for the runners-up place. However again for the first time, the Saturday XI took the Gunn & Moore South Nottinghamshire Cricket League Division H championship.
For 2007 we look for continued success and have taken the bold step of entering a 2nd
XI in the Saturday League.
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