A commemorative cricket afternoon tea is set to be held at the Town Hall to mark Warrington’s crucial role in the beginnings of one of the sport’s most famous clubs.
While they now play at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, Lancashire Cricket Club played their first ever match in Warrington 160 years ago at Bank Park, Warrington.
To mark the anniversary, the Town Hall is hosting a commemorative afternoon tea on Sunday 29 September. It will be served in two sittings in the Town Hall from 12pm to 1pm and again from 3pm to 4pm.
Expect hand-made scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and dainties. A guided tour of the Town Hall will also be included. To book the afternoon tea, please visit Eventbrite.
Alongside the afternoon tea there will be a range of activities on the day, including:
- an exhibition within the Town Hall provided by Lancashire Cricket Club, with ex-cricket players Barry Wood and John Abraham, and Lancashire Thunder’s Hannah Jones also in attendance
- A “back in time” experience where cricket players dressed in clothing from 1864 will come to the Town Hall steps
- Coaching opportunities, including batting and bowling masterclasses, by Lancashire Cricket Club and LiveWire
- An under 9s tournament is also taking place on Bank Park between 12pm and 2pm, followed by a trophy presentation
Warrington Cricket Club’s Bank Hall ground was chosen to host the inaugural game of Lancashire Cricket Club – which took place on 15-16 June 1864 – due to the town’s central location. The oldest cricket club in Cheshire, Birkenhead Park, who had previously played against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords and Surrey at the Oval, joined forces with the Gentlemen of Cheshire to oppose Lancashire in the match.
The game ended in a draw with Lancashire scoring 169 and 78 in their two innings, while their opponents scored 143 in their first innings and were on the verge of victory being just 15 runs short of their target when play drew to a close.
Cllr Jean Flaherty, deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council, said: “I can’t wait to welcome people to the Town Hall for this fantastic event, celebrating the 160th anniversary of Lancashire Cricket Club’s first match, here in Warrington.
“This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a piece of cricketing history and celebrate Warrington’s role in the rich history of one of England’s greatest clubs. Make sure you join us!”.
Sandy Mitchell, Head of Heritage & Community Wellbeing at Lancashire Cricket said: “The history and heritage of Lancashire Cricket is something we are extremely proud of and we are excited to honor the beginning of the club in this special and unique way. I would urge Lancashire supporters both young and old to come along and find out more about the history of this great club a little bit more.”
This unique cricket event is organised by the Friends of Warrington Town Hall, Lancashire Cricket Club, the Cheshire Cricket Board and Warrington Borough Council.
