Jubilee Souvenir (1958)

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Devonshire Cricket Club 1908 - 1958
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The formation of the D.C.C. took place just fifty years ago on Wednesday, February 5th, 1908.
It is interesting to note that the idea of forming a club is attributed to our senior Vice-President, Mr. C. S. Wilmshurst, and we of the generations following have much cause to be grateful for his idea. Originally the members of the team were mainly scholars of Devonshire Road, Greenwich, Strict Baptist Sunday School, but the club has since its inception welcomed applications for membership from anyone who is personally known to its members. In his report for 1929, the Secretary, Mr. A. G. Clarkson, said that it was in great measure due to this policy that the club had continued for 21 years. We, 29 years later, echo this statement and are glad that so many have had pleasure and relaxation playing for D.C.C.
D.C.C. has always been a family club and the position of Secretary has been held by only six people of whom F. G. and D. Endersby and A. G. and W. J. Clarkson were father and son respectively. We remember on one occasion when three generations played in the same eleven and some of us look forward to our own sons and nephews carrying on the tradition in years to come. It is also worthy of note that the club has had only four Treasurers in its 50 years.
The continuity of the club's existence has of course been broken by the two world wars and some of our number can remember the two in each war who did not return to don the myrtle and white, but we are thankful that neither upheaval spelt the end of our club. The wars were only two of the ups and downs we have experienced, days of feeling we could beat anybody and days such as that in 1912 when we scored but 10 runs and in 1922 when in successive weeks totals of 6 and 7 were reached, but through all the years the enthusiasm for the game and the club has never waned.
The club has not always been fortunate in having a ground on which there is no fear of being hit by the ball from another game played in close proximity. Until 1924 all games were played on L.C.C. pitches at Hilly Fields or Blackheath but a happy oversight, in failing to apply for permits, forced the 1924 committee to seek a private ground at Shortlands. The rent proved too expensive and the following year found us playing at New Eltham where we continued until 1938, until the season prior to the war when home games were played at a new ground at Eden Park, The problem of finding a place to play in the post-war years was considerable, but apart from one season we have been indebted to the Beckenham Council for some excellent pitches on which one can usually but without fear of the ball flying off a good length.
No history would be complete without the mention of our oldest opponents Headley United with whom we have had many notable battles. We wish them every success (except when playing us) and hope to meet them for many years to come.
When listing Club records it is difficult to know which to put first. Personal best performances are always welcome but cricket is a team game and no one man can claim to have won a game by himself. We do, however, recall the prodigious hitting of H. Sturgess in making the club's highest individual score of 102 and three years previously A, E. Endersby's hurricane 101 not out. Our bowling has nearly always been better than our batting and there are more than a dozen occasions on which the 'hat-trick' has been performed but the record of A. G. Clarkson's four wickets in four balls has never been bettered. Other notable records there are in century partnerships and brilliant fielding such as C. Giles's six catches in an innings, but though this history is incomplete, we hope that many more pages will yet be added before stumps are finally drawn.