Welcome to Sketty Church Cricket Club website, one of the oldest clubs in Swansea.
The club was founded in 1890 and its history has been recorded since 1910.
At this period the Club owes its rise to 'fame' mainly due to the Rev Norman Parcell, curate of the Parish for 17 years. He was responsible for the adoption of the 'Skull and Crossbones' for the club and motto 'Nil Desperandum'.
The badge is a modified version of the Christowe College, Cheltenham, Badge.
In 1912 the Club obtained a field from Mr Jenkins (Ty Coch Farm) and combined with the Church Lads Brigade to run a second eleven.
Subscriptions at this time were 1d. Per week. A note at this period tells ‘Mrs Rogers, Vivian Park Rd, kindly donated 15/- for the purchase of three bats’.
In 1912 L.G Browne became the first player to score more than 100 runs in a season.
Feature of the year 1919 was the wicket keeping of ‘Curly Jones’ who barely 14, had 31 victims, and stood up to fastest of bowlers.
1920 as a bowlers season, the Rev Norman Parcell achieved the incredible feat of taking no less than 306 wickets, and Chris (Curly)Harris 198.
On the other side, the Club were once all out for 6 runs against Dyffryn, who took only 3 balls to win the game.
In 1921, Jack Bailey scored the 1st Century for the club, scoring 107* against Swansea YMCA. The Rev Norman Parcell took the amazing bowling figures of 10 wickets for 12 runs in a game v Manobier (12 a side game) together with performing five hat-tricks in the same season.
After having several ‘home’ grounds, the Club were given a field at Sketty Hall through the kindness of Lady Swansea, Brigadier General and Hon Mrs Campbell.
On 7th May 1922, Lady Swansea bowled the first ball in the match at this ground. After the acquisition of this ground the Club grew from strength to strength and ran four elevens.
Unfortunately in 1931 the local Corporation acquired the Sketty Hall estate and once again the Club was groundless.
From 1931 to the commencement of World War II prominent players were Billy Gribble, ‘Ted Cole’, the Stratton brothers & Bert Bibby. Amongst others Jack Hope’s enthusiasm cannot be overlooked and the Rev Rex Morgan’s’ work during the curacy at Sketty, cannot be underestimated.
More details are unavailable due to loss of records.
Practically all the 1939 members saw active service during World War II. This did not fail to leave its mark when stock of the Club’s playing strength was taken in 1946.
In 1946, the team was captained by Wyn Gabriel. In a diary kept by George Mainwaring he recorded that the Summer was dismally wet, and the Church only played five games.
The first ball of the post war era was bowled by Ted Cole, against the ‘Stretcher Bearers XI’ and it was a remarkable one. He removed the middle stump and finished with 8 wickets for 6 runs, a feat which still graces the clubs record books.
Due to a hard working committee and the dynamic Bill Edwards who had now taken over the secretaryship the Club now began a period of development. A concrete practice wicket was laid perilously near the vicarage windows. There was a vast improvement in the standard of the fixtures and the rental of a field in Derwyn Fawr for three years.
1948 saw the inauguration of the first tour which was repeated in 1949 playing at Builth Wells, Presteigne, Llandovery,Newton and Aberystwyth.
Festival of Britain year, 1951 saw the commencement of the annual parish match with Sketty Harlequins for a cup presented by the late Mr W G Huxtable.
In 1956, Geoff Lewis playing as a guest scored 104 at Builth Wells.
In 1957,it was decided that better practice facilities were required and the Club members prepared a new practice wicket in the Church field. Fixtures were played on some of the most beautiful grounds in South Wales eg. Haverfordwest, Brecon, Builth Wells,Llandovery and Talgarth.
In 1965, the club playing in its 75th anniversary year, opened the season with a game v Mumbles at Underhill Park, a game which would produce the most incredible game in the clubs history. Batting first Sketty, were 38 all out half an hour before tea. Trevor Arnold made 15 and Phil Jones 18 (including the game’s only boundary for 4)
In reply Mumbles at tea were in trouble at 0 runs for four wickets. Derek Williams took the first 6 Mumbles wickets and he missed a ‘clean sweep’ when Phil Jones took 2 wickets in 4 balls, with an absent number 11, Mumbles were just FOUR all out and Sketty’s winning margin an impressive 34 runs.
The Mumbles innings lasted 40 minutes, only two batsmen scored and there were eight ’ducks’. For the Church, Derek Williams final analysis read 5 Over’s, 4 Maidens, 2 Runs, 7 Wickets. Phil Jones ended with two wickets to his name.
(taken from a report by Alan Watts)
In 1967, the club led by George Mainwaring for the 15th season, had a promising opener in Jeff Humphreys a student at East Anglia University , who joined the club in late June and scored 421 runs by the end of the season. Keith Davies scored 563 runs with 5 half centuries, including a remarkable 57 against Radyr scored in 19 minutes, scoring a four off every ball of the first over he received.
The bowling department was in good hands with Phil Jones taking over 100 wickets in the season, Ken Jones 63 wickets, they had splendid support from Rob Davies and John Hunt who took 65 wickets between them. Behind the stumps Alan Watts had 30 victims.
The club scored a healthy 3,365 runs in the year.
(Taken from Sketty Church review 1967 by Mike Howells)
1969-Phil Jones achieved 115 wickets in a season, Keith Davies (109) became the first Church player to score a ton since Jack Bailey in the 20’s and Alan Watts took 37 victims behind the stumps.
1973- Ken Jones scores 110* v Llanelli Wanderers.
In 1977, the Club took the momentous decision to play league Cricket for the first time and joined the Swansea Central League.
The Club captained by Dennis Griffiths won the league that same year with Rob Davies topping the bowling averages taking 21 wickets for 132 at an average of 6.2. He was closely followed by Ken Jones 2nd, Keith Davies 5th and Phil Jones 8th.
Keith finished 2nd in the batting with 488 runs at 44.36.
Young players included the likes of Steve Hunt & Steve Richards.
1978- Keith topped the batting average for the league,followed the next year by winning the best bowling average for the league.
The 80’s, decade started off with Phil, Dennis Griffiths, Keith, Alan Watts, Alan Hughes, & Rob Davies still in the side. Ken Jones also played, but only for 1-2 years, then retired. Clive Davies would also play when visiting his parents, as he had moved to England.
Gradually all these club legends retired, and the new young brigade of Rob Jones, Nigel Clayton, Ian Davies, and Rhys Thomas carried on the club traditions.
The club always toured back in those days, 1st or 2nd weekend in September. One was in 1980 to Bournemouth – Nigel had a lift with Ken Jones in his estate car, Ken flew down at the speed of light, as he had to work till mid morning on the Saturday, and the club had a game that afternoon in Bournemouth - need less to say, with Ken driving, they made it in time!
Tours followed to Stourbridge, Mid Wales (Newtown) and then several to Weston Super Mare.
In 1984, Rob Jones scored the first of 7 tons for the club with 100 v D.S Smith, the next year he scorched to a club record of making 843 runs in a season with 7 innings over 50.
1985- Nigel Clayton won the award for best bowling for the league.
The club regained the Div 1 Championships in 1986 & 87 under the captaincy of Ian Davies.
In that same year Ian scored 608 runs and won the six hits competition for the league when he thumped 24 sixes in a season. Norman Lawson won the batting average's and Rob Davies took the bowling honours.
In 1987, Norman was again the chief run getter with 685 runs including 103 v Winch Wen. The bowling was ably led by Nigel, Robert Davies, Charlie Plowden, & Russell Dix.
Nigel Clayton took over the Captaincy from 1988, 1989, & centenary year 1990, when he drove down from Derby every weekend.
1989- Steve Richards scored 109* v Frocester on tour.
1990- Centenary year. Sketty amass their highest score in 40 overs totalling 296-4 v Man Cong.
Rob (138) & Steve (86) put on 197 for the 3rd wicket. Steve topped the batting for the Central league with an average of 55.1 and won the six hit trophy with 16 sixes in a season.
Mark Harris bowled his best spell for the club taking 7-13 v D S Smith.
The club were now joined by the likes of all rounders Mark Nelson, a slim Rob Green, seamer Colin Doyle and a new reliable opener and best slip catcher of the era by the name of
Phil Griffiths.
The club also enjoyed a memorable end of season tour to Jersey and played two games versus D’Autree CC.
Who could forget arriving at the hotel at 9am on the Friday morning to find the rooms were not quite ready, going for a walk around St Helier Bay, only to discover a pub that opened its doors at 9.30 !!!!
The friendly landlord kept providing the players with plates of sandwiches,many of the team later staggered out of the pub 8 hours into the sunshine.
During the 90’s, with a number of Swansea Uplands RFC members in their ranks, it was decided to make Swansea Uplands the permanent home of Sketty Church. This was the impetus for the rugby club to develop a wicket at the club and the first match on the new pitch in August 1991 was between Sketty Church and the Ups which resulted in a one wicket victory for the rugby club.
On Sat 13th June 1992,the first league game played at the Uplands was a Div 2 league game v Upper Killay, who spoiled the show by beating the Club. Upper Killay went on to win the title with Sketty finishing runners up.
Rob Jones scored 107 v Terminus in Neath.
Sketty took 1,2&3 in the bowling awards with Rob Jones taking 23 wickets at 6.5,Rhys Thomas 24 @ 7.0 and Rob Davies 24 @ 7.3
1993-Rob Jones had a vintage year scoring an incredible 1026 runs for Sketty and the Treasurers.
Sketty were able to run two teams in the Central League as well as fielding a ‘friendly’ midweek team.
During the mid nineties ,Mark Nelson batting against Civil Service from the 'Town end', hit one of the biggest Church Sixes seen at the Ups, when he cleared the furthest Rugby post on the bottom pitch for 8 runs (six for clearing the boundary & 2 for the conversion !!)
1995- Rob (115*) and Phil Griffiths (70*) put on together a club record opening partnership of 206-0 v St Josephs.
1996, The club won the ‘H’ Sports cup beating Royal Exchange of Neath by 11 runs. The game was made more famous for the team celebrations later that night which led to the captain Rob Jones being nearly banned by the bouncers from the Wig n Pen Public House for his ‘over exuberation’.
1996- In August, Sketty played their 50th annual game at Builth Wells.
1997- Rob scores the 1st Church ton at SURFC with 100 v Sketty Village.
More recently it has only been possible to field one team on a Saturday and that team continued to play in the first division of the Central League until 2005.
A feature of the ground is the location of the rugby floodlights and this has enabled a number of day/night matches to be played, probably a unique facility outside the major grounds.
In 2004, Rhys Thomas took a magnificent 8-5 v Betws II.
In 2005, Jeet George thumped 101 in rapid time v Builth Wells. Gareth Bartley had a midweek batting average of 108.
For the 2006 season, it was decided to leave the Central League and join the West Wales Cricket Association with fixtures against the third teams of the SWC Association clubs. The club led by then club captain Rhy Thomas, finished a creditable 4th place in the league, and won the 'plate' competition defeating Cimla in the final. Bilal Qazi winning the man of the match award.
2nd game of the year saw the Club playing Port Talbot at a dark & gloomy Western Ave. The Church were in the deep mire at an unhealthy 44-8 and in danger of losing before tea, with no number 11, Port Talbot must have thought the game was there for the taking before the heavens opened.
Sketty's number 10, Rob Jones, (who only turned up to drop the kit off) had other ideas, Rob wobbled & hobbled to the wicket, two days after having had a knee op. With mutterings of 'Don't tell me wife, she'll kill me' proceeded to score 35* runs out of a partnership of 40 with Nigel 4*. Rob & Nigel who have SCCC blood running through their veins saw the team to 88-8 before our prayers were answered
and the heavens opended to halt proceedings.
Highlight of 2006, no doubt was the resurrection of the club ‘tour’ when we were invited to play a two day game at one of 'The Cradles of Cricket' at v Brigands CC at the former Hambledon ground at Broadhalfpenny Down in Hampshire, opposite The Bat & Ball Inn.
2007 -3rd in League, Amit Mehta becomes the second Church player to hit a ton at the Uplands with 107 v Neath, out of a total of 268-3.
Both Rob and Steve top 500 runs in the year with 814 runs and 554 respectfully.
The club won the ‘Plate’ trophy for the 2nd year in succession beating Neath in the final.
This was followed by superb 2 tour day game v the Brigands, a game played in tremendous spirit, which will stay long in the memory bank. Sketty all out for 67 in their 1stinnings.
Brigands made 214-7& 156-6 dec.
Requiring an improbable 303 runs to win, Sketty lost most of the top order to the Brigands fast bowlers.
It was left for Rob Jones to hold one end up, this he did in true ‘Boycott’ style for two and a half hours for 29 runs.
‘Thou shalt not pass’ was Rob’s motto, when he departed, it was then left to 15yr old Rhys Clayton 10* (on a pair with a blob 1st innings) and Gareth Davies to try to save the game.
The last over fell with Sketty on 104-7,when Gareth facing a ring of 6 slip fielders was out yorked 1st ball. Two wickets were needed by the Brigands to win, however the Church held out to ensure an honourable draw between the clubs. This game was described by one of the Brigand players on their website as ‘being the match of the year’.
2008- Champions Div 1 Alfa Fasteners League.
The team was captained by Rob Jones and during the second part of the season by Rob Green.
Sketty won the league in the final game beating Morriston by 88 runs in one of the wettest seasons on record. All the team members gave consisent performances throughout the year.
The batting department saw Rob make 476 runs,Amit Mehta (347),Steve (295), Ben Green (283) respectfully. The bowling attack was led by Aaron Treagus (22 wkts) Rhys Thomas (18) Jon Doyle (16) Amit (14) and Rob Launder also chipped in with 13 wickets.