Rothwell Cricket Club History
Cricket has been played at Rothwell for many a long year. In the 19th century there were people who claimed cricket was invented in Rothwell.
The first report of cricket being played at Rothwell by a Rothwell team appeared in The Rothwell Times on 14th August 1874. It is not known whereabouts in Rothwell this match was played and it was not until the following year that The Rothwell Times announced "a number of gentlemen...have obtained the use of a field in Royds Lane, where the opening match will be played on ...May 6th". Disappointingly, after the first announcement of the formation of Rothwell Cricket Club, The Rothwell Times virtually ignored them and only printed reports of two of their games that season.
It was at the first AGM of Rothwell C.C. that the secretary was to report, following negotiations with the farmer of Whitehall Farm and the owner of Oulton Hall, that permission had been granted for the laying down of a proper cricket pitch. The estimated cost was £20.
The ground belonged to Calverley estates and was rented and eventually purchased at a much later date for £325. It was later levelled with great help from J & J Charlesworth colliery, they even loaned a pit pony for pre-season rolling of the pitch and had special boots made for it.
The club nearly disbanded in 1924 after it amassed a £100 overdraft after paying too much talent money.however club members generously donated and the club continued.
The finest cricketer at Rothwell ever was Albert Ward, born at Waterloo in the parish of Rothwell, November 1865. At the age of sixteen he topped the batting averages and top scored with 105 against Allerton Bywater, he also topped the bowling with an average of 6.5. He was accepted to Yorkshire Colts at the age of 19 before he was cruelly poached by Hunslet Nelson.
Albert Ward went on to play for Yorkshire but unfortunately played most of his cricket with Lancashire. He represented England on 7 occasions averaging 37.46 and won Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1890. In 1894 he toured Australia, scoring 210 against South Australia, a 75 and 117 in the First test match and 93 in the last test match. He scored more than 900 runs over the tour, at the time the best effort of any England batsmen on an Australian tour. After the teams homecoming he was invited to return to Rothwell and receive a heros welcome. He took part in a grand celebration match, filling his old spot of opening batsmen, for Rothwell.
