Alderney Cricket Team Profile

Team for the day: Andy Lawrence, Stevie Concanen, James Butel, Ryan Capazario, Paul Fairclough, Danny Wright, Philip Hatcher, Jamie Sanderson, Sean Maloy, Luke Butel, John Lorimier

Alderney Cricket Club has a long and distinguished history for an island of it’s size. One of the earliest references to cricket is from 1922 when Sir Pelham Warner (1873-1963), captain of Middlesex and England, sailed over from Guernsey with his undefeated side to play Alderney. Warner noted that ‘the wicket was matting on grass, and the outfield the roughest I have known, though the local Xl found no difficulty in mastering its peculiarities and dangers’. Warner’s side was bowled out for 75 and were easily beaten.

Post Second World War cricket continued to be played mainly against teams from Jersey and Guernsey until the late 60’s when improved air links encouraged more sides from the mainland to visit and play. In fact it was the founding of Aurigny Air Services in 1968 by Sir Derrick Bailey, an Alderney cricketer and still president of the club, that gave regular links to Jersey, Guernsey and Southampton.

Following the fire at The Grand Hotel in 1981 the club’s facilities were in need of an upgrade resulting in a new pavilion being opened by John Arlott OBE in 1983. Towards the end of the 80’s a new artificial strip was laid replacing the old matting and further improvements were made to the pavilion.

In recent times the club has hosted games against the M.C.C. as well as adding Sark C.C. to the list of local fixtures. Week long tours to France have also become a regular occurrence.

Alderney Cricket Club are delighted to be helping Walkovers achieve their Four Island Challenge and to be supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.