Cricket Life Begins at Chipping Sodbury (1860-1899)

The Grace Family

It was in the early 1860's that the Grace family first became associated with Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club when Dr. Alfred Grace moved to the town to take over Dr. Brookman's practice. By the mid-l860's, the Club had temporarily moved from The Ridings to Gaunts Field where, according to Mr. Mills, they had a good wicket for those days. There was much more practice then, between ten to 15 players attending most evenings.

On the Gaunts Field ground, Dr. Alfred Grace, his brother, G. F. Grace and old Mr. Pocock, their uncle (who taught them their cricket) played for Chipping Sodbury against Syston and District. "G.F." made over 100 and Mr. Pocock knocked up over 60. There were no boundary hits in those days and to run a 100 was quite a physical accomplishment.

There were far fewer fixtures which were chiefly played on weekdays with six away games and six at home. Saturdays were devoted to practice games, captain and vice-captain picking the sides.

"They made the play quite social" wrote Mr. Mills in a 'Gazette' article. " They would have a whip round and send one of us boys to one of the pubs and bring up a gallon or perhaps two gallons of beer according to the number playing. Matches lasted generally all day with luncheon on the ground or at The Portcullis or George Hotel."

The Graces In the 1869 season G. F. Grace opened Chipping Sodbury's innings against Tetbury and scored 206 not out in a total of 287 and took three wickets. Another of Dr. Alfred Grace's brothers, "E.M." (The Coroner) knocked up a century for Chipping Sodbury in the return match with Tetbury later that season.

By the early 188O's, the pitch at The Ridings had been leveled and re-laid and it appears that the Club were thinking in terms of providing a suitable structure there to serve as a pavilion, for on June l0th, 1884, the secretary (a Mr. Howard) wrote a letter to the Bailiff and Burgesses seeking permission to erect a small shed, measuring about 20 ft. long and 15 ft. wide in the Stub Riding.

The Nineties

"The Chipping Sodbury skipper brought a very strong pick up" (it is recorded in the "Gazette") for the match at Wotton on June 30th, 1894. Chipping Sodbury seem to have been guilty of bad time-keeping because the "Gazette" account of the match records that "owing to the late arrival of several of the visiting team, their captain, after winning the toss, was compelled to put Wotton into bat first."

Their innings, according to the cricket correspondent of the "Gazette" called for "little comment," the batsmen failing miserably against the bowling of E. Maidment who took six wickets at a very small cost. Wotton were dismissed for 35 and Chipping Sodbury replied with 62 thanks to the batting of J. Rowe (not out 17), J. Mills (13) and A. Sowler (11). This was Wotton's first defeat in the 1894 season.

On May 27th, 1899, Chipping Sodbury entertained Wotton and won by 47 runs. Dr. Alfie Grace was top scorer with 23 in a total of 87 and G. Eyles took seven wickets.

The Doctor was also in good form with the bat when he opened Chipping Sodbury's innings at Wickwar on June 3rd, 1899 and scored 46 out of 85, five Sodbury batsmen failing to get off the mark. But despite this fine innings and good bowling by G. Eyles (five wickets) and F. Lester (three), Chipping Sodbury lost the match by 21 runs.

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