Our History in brief

"The earliest record of a cricket match involving Mayfield appeared in the diary of a village schoolmaster, Walter Gale, in an entry dated 28th May 1750.  This is generally recognised as the eighteenth earliest reference to cricket being played in Sussex.

Mayfield Cricket Club was formed in 1866 and, thereafter, developed in a gradual, but steady manner over the years.  A Juvenile Cricket Club was inaugurated in September 1879 to attract and encourage young players, and later, the Young Men's Friendly Society Cricket Club was formed, so that by 1885 Mayfield boasted three cricket clubs.

Many of the home matches were played at Court Meadow until the Club transferred to Cogger's Field at Wellbrook, the site of the present ground. A Second Eleven was started in 1895.  In 1903 it was decided to hold a Cricket Week, which consisted of six all day games against a number of visiting teams, brought together by notable individuals.  The success of this enterprise attracted huge crowds of spectators from all over the South East, many travelling by railway, and so began a tradition which was to continue for many years.  The period leading up to the First World War was remembered as the halcyon days of the Club, because many well known cricketers played on the ground at this time.

A new pavilion with a thatched roof had been erected in 1899, surrounded by a picket fence and the ground, with its superb southerly views, was considered to be one of the most attractive in the area.  Despite the usual ups and downs in fortunes during the intervening years, the Club once again thrived in the period leading up to the centenary year of 1966.  To celebrate the occasion, the annual cricket festival was extended.  Eleven fixtures played on consecutive days had been arranged, including matches against the Sussex Martlets and Sussex Club and Ground.

In 1985 a new sectionalised tea hut was erected and ten years later, in 1995, the ground was eventually purchased by the Cricket Club, thus ensuring that cricket could be played there in the future, both by the Club teams and the thriving Colts' Section.

Over the years, Mayfield Cricket Club has always survived and flourished because of the dedication and resolve of many people from different walks of life, who have committed themselves wholeheartedly to the continuance of cricket in the village.

Let us hope this spirit and determination persists in the years to come."

Paul McColl