There are no accurate records as to the actual date St Andrews Cricket Club was formed, other than it was in the mid 1930s. In 1962, when I started playing, there were players who had played “pre war”.
The Club originated with members of St Andrews Church congregation, with the vicar obtaining 3 bats, old pads, gloves and a kit bag, this being the only kit available for all players to use. All games were played on a Saturday or Sunday and mostly away games, as we had no home ground, although a ground was made available for our occasional use at West Buckland. Players used a local bus service to get to this ground.
When war broke out, all cricket was suspended, and the club reformed again in the mid fifties, with one of the Church members remembering that the above cricket kit bag was in the old Vicarage at St Andrews Rd. The owner of this house by this time was Mr & Mrs Pearse and their son Bill, who remained a stalwart member of the club until he died.
By the mid 60s the club was growing into a vibrant and successful club, still playing all their games on away pitches. Their first Cricket Tour took place on the day Mr Armstrong landed on the moon on 19thJuly 1969, and continued annually until 2000.
It was in “cup cricket” in the 1960s that the club really started to move forward. They lost to Taunton in the Baker Cup final on the County Ground in 1968. It was 5 years later that we eventually got our hands on the Baker Cup (1973) but not before a tied game with Taunton Outcasts and beat them in the replay on the following Sunday morning.
By now League cricket had arrived, which St Andrews could not enter as they still had no home ground. However several St Andrews players had connections with Somerset County Council, whose ground was the Police Rugby/Athletics ground at Mountfields Rd. By the start of 1976, the 2 cricket clubs had amalgamated and became known as Taunton St Andrews and County Hall Cricket Club, playing on the above ground now known as The Wyvern Club.
Since then the club has blossomed to become one of the most successful teams in the county. Having progressed from the 2nddivision to the Premier League of the West of England Cricket Championship in 2000, the club then won the league in 2001, before winning it again in 2009.
The club has continued to thrive with 4 Saturday League sides, a Sunday side and a very successful youth section, producing a number of players who have gone on to represent the county. Recently 2 of our young players (both having been with the club from the age of 9),James Rew and George Thomas represented England in the U19s World Cup Final against India in 2022.
Alan Parsons
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