Ramsdell Cricket Club History
HOME, SWEET HOME!
Although the Recreation Ground has long been our home, Ramsdell have played cricket at two other venues in the village.
When the Club was formed, in 1934, home games were played at Povey's Farm by kind permission of George Smith - grandfather of our current President and stalwart member, Godfrey Kent. Indeed, the piece of land where matches against the likes of Wolverton, Baughurst, Monk Sherborne and Hannington were keenly contested is still known as 'The Cricket Field'. Players changed, and took tea, in a Dutch Barn opposite the ground with refreshments provided by George's wife, Jessie.
The Second World War brought an end to village cricket in Ramsdell, and when the Club re-grouped in 1946 the Cricket Field was no longer available. It was a case of playing 'away matches only' for a short time but then, for a couple of seasons, a new home was found in a field on the Ewhurst Road.
A permanent home was soon to present itself, however - courtesy of 10 local people putting up £20 apiece to purchase, for the Parish Council, what is now the Recreation Ground. Although just a field, and a particularly marshy one at that, this piece of land was ideally situated and would develop, over time, into the facility now regularly used by tennis players, children, walkers and, of course, cricketers.
These days, the summer game is played 'up and down' the Rec. But, originally, pitches were cut across the slope - and what is now the groundsman's hut was used as a changing room before the later, and very welcome, addition of the Pavilion.
Don Kent, Johnny Bunkle, Bill Stanley and Reg Gundry were among those early years stalwarts who did so much to make sure that Ramsdell Cricket Club not only survived but also thrived.
Godfrey Kent played his first game - as a 12-year-old - for the Club in 1956 and particularly remembers being driven to an away fixture by Maurice ("Morry") Laws in a Ford 8 that required its passengers to keep their feet raised owing to the fact the floor had rusted through - leaving the road below clearly visible!
Don Kent, captain and fixture secretary for many years, was another who would ferry players to away matches against the likes of Woolton Hill, East Woodhay and Kingsclere, although his Standard Vanguard was apparently less open to the elements than Morry's mode of transport.
Ramsdell's first venture into League cricket was via the Reading League, in the mid to late 1970s, where opponents included Sonning, Sulhamstead and Woolhampton. And there were also highly competitive games to be found in the Kingsclere Evening League.
With those early pioneers growing older, younger players like Geoff and Vic Duckett, John Munday, Nigel Kent, Dave Simpson, Nigel Williamson, Paul Jury and the like started to appear on the scene. And the move was made into the Hampshire Cricket League. As with most village clubs, Ramsdell have not always found it easy to keep going. But cricket has been played on the recreation ground for well over half a century - and it is hoped the Club will be able to 'raise its bat' to celebrate the reaching of many more landmarks along the way.