VILLAGE cricket dates back to as early as the 13th Century, when country boys would bowl at a tree stump or at the hurdle gates into a sheep pen.

It has continued up to the present day to be a popular sport, and at one time most villages had a beautifully kept pitch with a club house, where spending a Saturday afternoon among friends, watching or playing, epitomised an English summer.

However, times have changed, and many village clubs are folding as they are unable to get players.

One struggling team is Ingleby Greenhow Cricket Club. Their ground is set within the beauty of the Cleveland Hills and generations of families would traditionally play, such as the Fawcett family.

After the match there would be drinks at the Dudley Arms and sausages supplied by the local butcher, Arthur Fawcett.

However, over the past two to three seasons Ingleby Greenhow Cricket Club has struggled to get teams out. Last season, the club conceded two games and played a few matches with nine or ten players, and in one match there were just eight.

It was a sad day when at the club’s AGM on December 10, the players voted that there were not enough available for Saturday matches to continue playing in the Langbaurgh league, and to resign from the league for the 2022 season.

“The players felt they couldn’t carry on,” said Arthur Fawcett. “We are not the only club to struggle. Local village cricket has been struggling for ten to 15 years.

“Three of the original Langbaurgh League clubs have folded as well as others, that formed the league we played in. However, more players were available for the evening and so we continued as a team in the Esk Valley Evening League.”

The club is hoping to get more people interested in playing cricket so they can go back to Saturday cricket again. The club has been going for more than 170 years and the minute books date back to 1916. It has score books from the 1930s, AGM minutes and photos, which Arthur Fawcett is happy to show to people.

“Cricket can give you friendship, team spirit, respect for one another and a competitive spirit,” said Arthur. “If anyone reads this and wants to play for the club this summer, please contact me on 07762 572936.”