THE HISTORY OF CRICKET IN DUFFERIN COUNTY
HISTORY
Cricket is a bat and ball game played between two teams of eleven players at an amateur and professional level around the world. While the earliest definite evidence of cricket dates to the mid-16th century in south-east England, it is believed that the sport was played long before by Anglo-Saxons and Normans. It was initially a children’s sport, but by 1611 adults were starting to play the game. This is confirmed in a Sussex court case involving two men who were charged for playing cricket on Easter Sunday instead of going to church.
The sport quickly became popular among adults and by the mid-1600s, county teams in England were being formed, with local “experts” hired to play. The game was also played by and very popular among women; the earliest women’s game was played in 1745 in Sussex.
While cricket may have originated in England, it is now incredibly popular in the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. Cricket was introduced to other parts of the world through colonization; North America in the early 17th century and the rest of the world in the 18th century. The first ever international cricket match was played between Canada and the USA in New York, 1844.
CRICKET IN DUFFERIN COUNTY
It’s believed that cricket was first played in Canada in 1759 by British soldiers after they won the battle at the Plains of Abraham. The outcome of the battle led to the surrender of Quebec to the British. The earliest known reference to the game is of matches being played at Ile-Ste-Helene in the Province of Quebec in the year 1785. It eventually made its way to Ontario via the Town of York, now known as Toronto.
Clubs were also formed in Dufferin County. The earliest reference was made in the Orangeville Sun in 1861, about a match that was played between Amaranth Cricket Club and Orangeville Club during birthday celebrations for Queen Victoria. Games were often played between these clubs and with others from southern Ontario.
It was also popular among girls and women of Dufferin County. In 1898, the Orangeville Sun wrote an article about girls at a public school organizing a cricket club called Duchess Cricket Club to play games against high school girls. Another article references young ladies of Orangeville and Grand Valley playing a lengthy game in 1899, with the former winning. Newspapers continued to write about cricket games played in Dufferin County throughout the early to mid-1900s.
With a wave of immigration in the 1970s, particularly from South Asia and the Caribbean, more cricket clubs were formed. One such club was the Inshalla Cricket Club in Hockley, formed in the early 1970s. In the 1980s, the original building that was home to the club was destroyed by fire. Sadly, the daughter of the owner died in the fire, and soon after the club was renamed Marigail Cricket Club in her memory.
ORANGEVILLE CRICKET CLUB
The Orangeville Cricket Club, co-founded by Peter and Rose Elsdon, operated from 1973 to the 1980s. Peter organized games and played cricket, while his wife Rose was a scorekeeper at matches and hosted many teas and socials. Matches were often played on the high school grounds, with the outfield being maintained by the school and the pitch by the club. Jute matting was used to facilitate a good and even batting surface. Since members weren’t allowed inside the high school, they would have tea and socialize outside on the ground. The club arranged two tours, which included some former members of the West Indian Test players. The first tour was to New York City, hosted by Wembley Cricket Club, with games played in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The second tour was to London Cricket Club, near Kitchener. Friendly matches were also played with clubs located across southern Ontario, from Hamilton to Whitby, and occasionally from farther away, such as Ottawa.
The Orangeville Cricket Club had about 20 members, mostly English with some members from Jamaica, Pakistan and India. The club was known for being socially active, and the goal was to play competitively but on a social level. In the 1980s, the club merged with York Cricket Club, which is based out of York University’s Glendon Campus in Toronto.
Recently, the MoD received donations from the Shelburne Cricket Club consisting of dolls, a matchbook, and photographs relating to the 1970s Orangeville Cricket Club (see photos below). Museum staff were also in touch with a former member of the club who provided valuable information about the club’s social activities and tours.
CRICKET TODAY
With a steady rise in immigration, Dufferin County has seen a reemergence in interest and passion for cricket, with new clubs being formed in the past few years. If you have a story to tell about your experience with cricket, let us know in the comments below!
By: Sahana Puvirajasingam
Sahana is the Community Collections Curator at the Museum of Dufferin. She is a Tamil-Canadian emerging museum professional with an MA in History from University College Dublin.
Questions about Collecting the Community can be directed to Sarah Robinson (Curator) by email at srobinson@dufferinmuseum.com or by phone at 519-941-1114 ext. 4019.