A century of cricket photographs

It seems fitting that it is a ‘Century’ of Cricket photographs that finds its way into the Gallery. The 'century' doesn't include the oldest Cricket XI photographs in the Photographic Collection, and it doesn't tell the story of Cricket at Christ College. However, until that story is told elsewhere on the Hub, the Cricket XI gallery is there simply for your enjoyment.

It is fitting too that we put up the Gallery at a time when a new era is emerging in the history of Cricket at Christ College. Strangely, the transition to a new era is most evident in the Archive’s team photograph collection.

2021 was the last time that the ‘Cricket XI’ photograph could be given that nomenclature. From 2022 onwards there will be ‘Girls Cricket XI’ and ‘Boys Cricket XI’, mirroring the nomenclature that has held fast for Hockey since the first Girls XI Hockey photograph of 1988/89.

Girls Cricket is not new at Christ College. Kate Davies (DEW 2000-06), who was first selected for the Welsh Women’s XI in 2005, made her appearance in the 1st XI in 2006. 

From the  Spring Newsletter 2006

The cricket season has got off to a mixed start, not helped by the mid-May deluges. The 1st XI's record, at the time of going to press reads: played 4, won 2, lost 2 - but the wins include yet another victory over Llandovery, the ninth in succession. Not that they had it all their own way: the loss of three key wickets with only 10 runs on the board meant that the middle order had to dig in, but this they did to good effect - and a comfortable 64-run win was the result. The match was also memorable for Kate Davies' appearance in the CCB XI - the first ever by a girl; and, what's more, she took an early wicket, trapping the Llandovery number 3 lbw. Kate continues to appear regularly for the Wales senior women's XI.

Not quite two decades later, Girls Cricket will be the main team sport for Girls in the Summer Term, continuing the development work of last season. 

Though fixtures were knocked in the residual effects of the pandemic, the first Captain of Girls Cricket at Christ College was Emilia Palmer (DONS 2020-2022), daughter of Andrew B Palmer (DONS 1985-92) who was scorer for the Cricket XI in the early 90s and Captain of the 3rd XI  - 'The Daffodils'. Emilia, who gained 4 caps for Wales U18s while at school, can be seen wearing the Cricket blazer in the 2022 Girls Cricket XI photo. 

The late C20 photographs include those from the CWK Collection, a collection of team photographs generously donated by Anne Kleiser. The low-res photographs by Tempest are published with the kind permission of Tempest. If you would like high-res prints, or later photographs, you can purchase them directly from Tempest Group Photography.

The Daffodils. 1992

Standing - back: DM Pascoe. J J Gerrard, WJ Exton, CES Widdows, Standing - middle: RD Barlow, PJB Davies, D Bartholomew, KS Bhachu, JS Thomas. Front row: NJ Cranston, DJA Biffen, AB Palmer (Capt), CGSW. 

Roughly modelled on the 1892 photograph (below).