Thames Ditton Cricket Club

Image: © Colin Smith Taken: 8 Dec 2011

"Thames Ditton Cricket Club have played on Giggs Hill Green at least since 1833, the date of their first recorded match. A copy of the scorecard from that game against Twickenham CC, is in the Pavilion. Since that time many famous cricketers have played on the Green. Heathfield Stephenson, who in 1861/62 captained the first English side to tour Australia, played for the Club. He is the first player featured on a mural in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pavilion showing many of the famous cricketers who have played on that ground. His nephew, Maurice Read, was the first Thames Ditton player to score a century in a club match. He became a professional with Surrey, and played 14 test matches for England in the 1880s and 1890s. In 1892 Tom Richardson, the great Surrey and England fast bowler, came to live in Angel Road. He played many times for the Club until his death in 1912. In the 1890s Thames Ditton, and their rivals Mitcham, were regarded as the leading clubs in Surrey. Matches between the two clubs attracted crowds of up to 5000 spectators. Other England cricketers played for the Club on occasions, Leonard Braund and Tom Hayward amongst them. The Centenary Year was celebrated in 1933 with matches against Twickenham. Eddie Watts, one of three brothers in that era, went on to play for Surrey. He took all 10 wickets for Surrey v Warwickshire in 1939, and had not the War intervened may well have become a test player. He returned to play for TDCC when he retired from first class cricket in 1952." www.tdcc.org.uk

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