Leaving School and ‘Wandering’ About Your Cricketing Future?

Selection for the school ‘A’ team should not be seen with such importance as it often is. There is a lot of pressure on children to represent their school ‘A’ team at any age group in any given sport. This pressure comes from peers, families, teachers, but most of all from the children themselves.

Cricket has far more to offer than just the high-pressure, cut and thrust of league and county cricket. As school coaches, we often see huge excitement and enthusiasm for all sports at the start of the school term, which, after selection for the initial training squads and first teams of the season can, to an extent, fall away as realisation dawns that the ‘A’ team seems out of reach. Too regularly, we focus on the high performers and interest in the development of the top players in the top teams can become a priority, rather than celebrating the success and relevance of players who are not particularly interested in cricket as a career or pursuing to higher levels after school, but who have a deep love for the game. Whilst opportunity for ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ teams is there to participate in inter school and inter club matches, arguably we do not consider enough the future development and interest of what will become the life blood of recreational cricket. For the top school players, we offer plenty advice and create links to clubs, district, county and other well-trodden pathways, but for those super keen cricket lovers who may not wish to follow the club or county pathway, we possibly fall a little short in advising them about alternative cricketing opportunities after leaving school.

Every year, there will be cricketers leaving school for whom club cricket is not a realistic option. This may be down to commitment in playing a large number of fixtures every weekend, a feeling of inadequacy, pressure of league cricket and the desire to play socially rather than having to consider league rankings, promotion and relegation, etc. Some of these players will play a little through university but sadly may ultimately be lost to the game if they are unable to find an alternative to club cricket.

On leaving school, I learned of an intriguingly named cricket team called ‘The Stragglers of Asia’. Traditionally, although rules are slightly more relaxed today, to play for this team one was required to have played cricket east of the Suez, which tells you a little about the wonderfully colourful history behind such teams. ‘The Stragglers’ offer wonderfully traditional cricket in idyllically quintessential settings, predominantly in London and surrounding counties. There exists a chance to play with and against like-minded people who are there for the enjoyment of the game, revelling equally in success and failure with the opportunity to play a smaller number of fixtures over the summer combined with opportunities to tour around the world playing cricket. Add to all this the amazing networking opportunities with some exceptionally well-connected people, the odd mountainous cheese board, fine wines and a glass or two of port over a long lunch and the whole scenario becomes a rather attractive prospect. Wandering Cricket Clubs, those traditionally without a home ground, ‘wander’ around the country being hosted by schools, clubs, military and other sides, is a genuine alternative to club cricket which is affectionately termed ‘jazz hat’ cricket on account of the brilliantly eccentric coloured and patterned caps and sweaters on show. 

It is important to note at this stage that whilst this article is directed at players who may not feel able to play club cricket for whatever reason, the mix in abilities and ages amongst wandering cricketers is what makes the whole experience so welcoming, and fun. Part of the challenge of the majority of wandering games is to ensure that the day sees a ‘perfect’ game of cricket leaving all results possible as late into the game as possible. Ideally, the winning runs will be scored, or the last wicket will fall in the last few balls of the day. This takes a little bit of imagination from the captains, who also need to ensure that all players get as equal an opportunity as possible in the games. What you can guarantee from playing for a wandering side is a plenty of laughs, relatively little pressure and generally a close match of encouraging inclusive cricket, spreading the message of a lifelong love of the game where the whole family is welcomed to a day of cricket.

Wandering cricket will take you to any number of fabulous locations and give you the opportunity to travel around the world touring with your chosen side should you wish. Among the grounds you can find yourself arriving at can include the beautiful Ascot Park, The Hurlingham Club, The Royal Household, The Honorable Artillery, and any number of top Independent School grounds around the country.

The Wandering Cricket culture is quite remarkable, and offers something to cricket lovers that club and county cricket does not. Cricket is a game that holds a future for everyone, so if you are someone who feels that the end of the cricketing road comes as you leave school, please do not forget to explore off the beaten track, as this is precisely where Wandering Cricket will take you.

Good luck, and I hope this list of wandering clubs and their founding dates (source: nomadscc.com/wandering-cricket-clubs) is useful in your search for what will prove to be hugely enjoyable and rewarding cricket.

PL & WD

I Zingari Cricket Club 1845	Gents of Worcestershire 1848	Incogniti Cricket Club 1861	Free Foresters Cricket Club 1856
Emeriti Cricket Club 1872	Wanderers Cricket Club 1873	Butterflies Cricket Club 1862	Harlequins Cricket Club 1852
Gents of Cheshire c.1850	Lords and Commons 1850	Stoics Cricket Club 1877	Band Of Brothers CC 1858
Yorkshire Gents CC 1863	Quidnuncs 1851	Bluemantles 1862	Gents of Leicestershire 1868
Hampshire Hogs  1887	Northern Nomads 1892	Craven Gentlemen 1892	Borderers c.1892
Somerset Stagglers 1900	Devon Dumplings CC 1902	Berkshire Gentlemen 1895	Romany(Yorks) 1895/1902
Nomads Cricket Club 1903	Frogs Cricket Club 1903	Gents of Staffordshire 1904	Glamorgan Nomads 1904
Cornish Choughs CC 1906	Gents of Shropshire CC 1906	Dorset Rangers CC 1906	Sussex Martlets 1905
Gents of Essex 1907	Yellowhammers 1907	Cryptics 1910	Invalids 1919
Gentlemen of Suffolk 1921	Gloucestershire Gipsies 1922	Durham Pilgrims 1922	Penguins 1923
Thames Valley Ramblers1921	Grasshoppers 1923	Stragglers of Asia 1925	South Wales Hunts 1926
Lincolnshire Gentlemen 1928	Jesters CC 1928	Romany 1929	Souwesters 1930
Buccaneers  1930	The Stage 1931	South Oxford Amateurs 1933	Wiltshire Queries 1933
Gaieties CC 1937	Flycatchers 1934	Arabs 1935	Woodpeckers 1936
Forty Club 1937	Bushmen 1942	Cricket Society XI 1949	Boffins  1949
Lord's Taverners  1950	Almondbury Casuals 1952	Ravers Cricket Club 1954	Grannies 1956
Badgers Cricket club 1958	Privateers 1958	Saints 1959	Jack Frost XI 1961
Lord Gnomes XI 1963	Mandarins 1963 or 64	Old England 1968	Thames Valley Gents 1968
Heartaches 1973	Touring Theatres 1974	Weekenders 1970s	Fleet Street Strollers 1976
Captain Scott Invitation XI	Kensington 1982(1848)	Chelsea Arts Club 1984	Hetairoi 1980
Journeymen 1988	Harry Baldwin Occass' 1986	Sydenhurst Ramblers 1946	Gents of Shropshire 1906
Law Society 1929	Brighton Brunswick 1870	Paralytics	London Theatres     1957
London Erratics 1974	Butler XI 1988	Spasmodics  1935	Nondescripts           1870s
Gents of Herefordshire 1850s	Paddington 1920	Moose 1979	Fleet Street Wanderers   1989
The Philanderers 1986	Eclectics CC20

 

This and other coaching session plans and ideas for winter training for all ages and abilities are available as free downloads from www.aleadingedge.co.uk/products/

The first book in a series, entitled, ‘Cricket - A Leading Edge for Captains’ is now available on www.amazon.co.uk