About
Early Records
So far as it is known no records survive of the earliest years of
the club - believed to be around the turn of the century. We do know
that in the 1920's the square was laid - or re-laid - under the
direction of the late Major E.R.F. Compton, father of the club's
current patron and owner of the Newby Hall estate. In the true
tradition of country house cricket, proficiency at the game was a
great help when applying for work on the estate. In the 1930's the
club made its mark of the local scene by twice winning the coveted
Ripon Knock-out Competition.
Post War
After the war it would appear that the club drifted along fairly
uneventfully - whist drives being the big event of the year - until
playing fortunes reached a low ebb in the mid 1960's. The club
pulled out of Saturday league cricket and settled for playing Sunday
friendlies and evening cup competitions. By 1969 something of a
crisis was reached when the now tiny hardcore met in April to find
that their secretary had ignored correspondence and not a single
match had been arranged for the imminent season.
Turnaround
The club could easily have folded at this point but the
determination of the late Wilf Virr, aided by the youthful energy of
his son Richard and the late Peter, plus Steve Selby and Patrick
McCreanor kept the club afloat.
In 1971 Chris Farrell first strode onto the Newby ground. Then an
opening bowler with Otley in the Airedale and Wharfedale League (but
living at Great Givendale, half a mile from the ground) Chris
brought a determination to improve the club's status, both on and
off the field which rubbed off on the others to produce stronger
sides being fielded, better fixtures and, by 1975 a new pavilion.
This has since been extended, in two stages, to its current size.
Now living in Huddersfield, Chris still keeps a close eye on the
club's fortunes.
League Cricket
The 1976 season saw Newby Hall in the Nidderdale League. League
cricket in the 5th division did not immediately draw players from
their previous league clubs; hence a somewhat patchy start to life
in the Nidderdale was struggled through. This is best illustrated by
performances on consecutive Saturday's - all out for 12 against
Burton Leonard 2nds followed by 312 for 5 against Glasshouses 2nds.
Promotion was achieved however; as it was in the next three seasons
so that by 1980 the 1st division was reached.
1980’s
By now a bar had been installed, where success in several local
competitions was enthusiastically celebrated. Not until 1985 was the
champagne out toasting the league championship. After being together
at the top of the division all season Newby and Knaresborough Forest
came here for the last league game of the season level on points.
Newby won a tense affair by 44 runs in a game in which fortunes
swung dramatically their way in the last hour.
Outstanding in the championship winning side was Peter Moldrich, a
young Australian from Perth, one of numerous players to come to the
club from Australia since Tim Park, a former Newby Hall
wicket-keeper batsman emigrated in 1980. The retention of the title
in 1986 by a side led by Ervin Margis without an Aussie gave great
satisfaction to the club and also went a long way to answering
criticism within the league regarding the Australian connection.
In 1987 the club staged what is probably their biggest event, when
Yorkshire C.C. visited us to play a benefit game against a Newby
Hall select XI.
After the highs of the mid 80's the late 80's saw the club
struggling at the foot of the 1st division and after a close escape
in 1988 the club were relegated to division 2 in 1989. The club took
this as an opportunity to re-group and bounced straight back in to
division 1.
1990’s
The period 1990 to 1992 under the captaincy of Richard Virr and Nick
Kent was a successful time for the club, helped by the services of
some extremely good overseas players, backed up by talented locals.
Of particular note were the Senior Knock Out success of 2001, which
was dominated by overseas players Tony Fitzgerald and Shane Smith,
and the Division 1 Triumph in 2002 when overseas bowler Simon
Hubbard took over 70 wickets. But nothing lasts forever as they say
and when a number of these players "retired" the cub struggled and
was relegated in 1995 to Division 2, where we were until 2001.