Slinfold Cricket Club will celebrate 250th anniversary in style

Club chair Martyn Haines told the County Times: “It all started on May 3, 1775, with a match against Rudgwick at Broadbridge Heath, as recorded in John Baker’s Horsham Diary.”

Later, games were played at Slinfold Lodge near the golf and country club, before the present ground was established in the 1880s.

Last year Slinfold’s new pavilion was opened, and it will figure prominently in the cricket week beginning on Sunday, July 20, with a visit from a strong MCC side, with West Indian international Akeem Jordan playing for Slinfold – reprising his 2014 debut for the club. The game starts at 11.30am with all spectators welcome.

Other highlights for the week include a women’s evening match on Monday, an afternoon game on Tuesday against Slinfold’s very first opponents – Rudgwick - a ‘Past v Present’ match on Wednesday, followed by Horsham Thursday XI coming the next day, with the week being rounded off on the Friday (25th) by an all-day six-a-side tournament for Juniors – full details of the events are at http://www.slinfoldcc.co.uk

Slinfold are a happy, vibrant family club with three senior Saturday sides, a women’s team, a Sunday XI and T20 teams - and a range of social activities.

The club have won the local knockout Mirfield Cup and Sussex Slam four times in the past five years, and, playing in Division 4 West of the Sussex League, the men’s 1st XI won all eight of their opening fixtures to top the table.

Haines added: “We are a friendly bunch and have been particularly keen to develop women’s cricket alongside our flourishing junior section with its four age group teams.

"We’ve got female and male qualified coaches and our ‘family Fridays’ with barbecues and budding youngsters enjoying themselves at the ground is always special.

"Our big anniversary is a huge milestone in the long history of the club and we’d be delighted to share our celebratory week with as many visitors as possible.”