The Story of Hanslope Cricket Club

Part 2 - Consolidation : the 1950s

Arthur Snaith’s time as captain came to an end in 1953 and the position was taken by Joe Stott. Fixture cards from this era show a strong club, with up to sixteen vice-presidents, a committee of twenty (yes, 20!), a selection committee of five and official scorers and umpires. It was still friendlys only; it would be a few years yet before league cricket beckoned. Reproduced below is a most literate press report from August 1954, of the club’s away match with Ashton.

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Above and below - the Fixture Card for 1954

The club was developing into a very strong side indeed. Here are the playing records for the years 1954-58, with a gap for 56.

Year
Played
Won
Lost
Drawn/ No Result
1954
35
16
3
14
1955
37
17
8
7/2
1957
39
16
6
6/4
1958
36
12
6
10/8
(obviously a bad year weather-wise)


1957 saw the beginning of a new era. When Bob Baird took over as captain, halfway through a season from Joe Stott, he probably didn’t think that this would last until 1985. For the next twenty eight years Bob saw the club into, out of, and then back into three different leagues, not to mention a change of home venue. A time of change and progression was on the horizon.

 Extracts from the Bucks Standard

Left - September 10th 1955

Below - Hanslope CC bowler Derek Walker reaches a major milestone on the 4th September 1955 against Dallington.