Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club
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Over the Years (updated 15 Oct 08) This is a brief, ‘potted history’ of the club – go back to the main history page for links to sections giving more details. Sadly, most of the records from 1978 to 1990 have been ‘lost’, perhaps because those who first played for the club probably didn’t realise the potential longevity of what they were starting and so saw no need to keep things such as scorebooks and other ‘memorabilia’. Nevertheless, the efforts of those who have kept all the available records are summarised on this page. The early years: 1978 to 1991 1978 - founded as Post and Telecommunications HQ - join division 4 of the Cardiff Midweek Cricket League (but moved to division 5 when Leagues reorganised due to expansion in the early 80s) - play first ever competitive match v Welsh Folk Museum at Llandaff Fields on 20 June - embark on early and tentative years in the league - also compete (under the title of “Wales and The Marches Postal and Telecommunications Sports and Social Club”) in the Wales and Border Counties Post Office Cup 1985 - undertake first ever tour to Alderley Edge, Cheshire 1986 - change name to Inter European Airways - win promotion to division 4 - Gareth Parsons steps down after 8 years as the Club's inaugural Chairman 1988 - change name to Post Office Cavaliers 1990 - retention of scorebooks and other records begins 1991 - Andrew Stevens sets record by taking 29 wickets in the season, a landmark that was subsequently equalled but not bettered until 2008 [see below] - Bob Smith becomes first member to take six wickets in an innings with figures of 4-0-8-6 Going it alone: 1992-1997 1992 - Post Office Headquarters Sports and Social Club ends its financial support - approve first ever written constitution - reach semi-finals of Cardiff Midweek Cricket League Shield (for teams in Divisions 3, 4 and 5) losing narrowly to Haddocks at Llandaff Fields on 15 June - bizarrely bowl out Academicals in a League match for 10 (Academicals having only six players) and win by seven wickets at Pontcanna on 30 July - Graeme Brown becomes the first (and still only) member to be an ‘ever present’ in every game throughout the season 1993 - first ever club testimonial awarded to Graeme Brown - Nigel Moore becomes the first member to carry his bat through a completed innings scoring 66 not out v an Invitation XI at the Diamond Ground on 27 June in Graeme Brown’s testimonial match 1994 - Graeme Brown takes six wickets in an innings in a midweek friendly v Grange FC at Pontcanna on 21 June with figures of 3.4-0-17-6 - Nigel Adams defies the pain barrier when, after a serious accident in the field, he comes in to bat at No11 to help the team to a one wicket victory in a last wicket stand with Glyn Poulsom chasing just 27 after being 19-9 v Whitchurch RFC at Pontcanna on 18 July. Nigel had sustained head injuries and a separate injury (occurring in the same incident) was later identified under x-ray as a broken kneecap - Warwick Armstrong becomes the first (and still only) member to be voted as both Player and Clubman of the Year in the same season - end our participation in the Cardiff Midweek Cricket League losing our final game to Weddell Swift at Llandaff Fields on 8 August 1995 - change name to Cardiff Cavaliers - join the Willow League winning our first league match v Amersham (now GE Healthcare) at Blackweir on 9 May - reach Willow League Cup Final but lose to Leisure & Amenities (later to become Oz Bar Wizards and now Cardiff Bay Barbarians) at Caedelyn on 17 August - Mark Ryan becomes first (known) member to score a century (112no v Penarth Sports, Caedelyn, 13 June) - Warwick Armstrong sets record for the most number of appearances in a season with 29, all as Captain [record surpassed in 2008, see below] 1996 - Richard Perry becomes the first wicket keeper to take four catches in a weekend friendly match v Dinas Powys at the Cathedral School on 9 June - achieve first ever tour victory v St James at Ryde (Isle of Wight) on 3 August - Glyn Poulsom equals Andy Stevens’ club record of 29 wickets in the season [record surpassed in 2008, see below] - achieve first ever 10 wicket victory in an ‘Ashes’ game v Chartered Trust at St Fagans on 5 September 1997 - play first ever Welsh (Intermediate) Cup tie losing by five wickets at Abercarn on 18 May - John Yarrow becomes the first man to take a ‘hat trick’ v South Glamorgan Education at Caedelyn on 2 June (see below to find who else has achieved this marvellous feat) - Dave Farnworth hits a record 11 sixes in scoring a century in a Willow League match v Leisure & Amenities at Caedelyn on 31 July, five of these sixes coming off consecutive balls - win 'Ashes' series trophy (played against Chartered Trust) 2-1 thanks to a thrilling 5 run win in the deciding match at St Fagans CC, 27 August Stormy years: 1998-2000 1998 - beginning of a period of ‘crisis’ with the club failing to field 11 players on many occasions and having to cancel games - tour to Newcastle supported by only five members with two ‘guests’ although the (one) tour match was rained off 1999 - testimonial awarded to Graham “Joey” Newbury - move to Llandaff Oval and adopt it as our ‘home’ venue - receive first ever scoreboard, courtesy of a donation - continue to suffer regular difficulties in raising 11 players for matches 2000 - testimonial awarded to Nigel Moore - Graeme Brown becomes the first (and still only) member to take six wickets on two occasions v Oakleigh at Abbots Leigh (near Bristol) on 3 June with figures of 9-3-21-6 - in the same match Dave Jones sets a record for the longest ever bowling spell, performing unchanged from one end to record figures of 23-7-41-2 - things begin to improve and we’re able to raise a full 11 players for more matches but still struggle Seeds of recovery: 2001-2002 2001 - testimonials awarded to Glyn Poulsom and Warwick Armstrong - Ross Bowen just fails in his attempt to break the record for the longest ever spell of bowling with figures of 22-2-98-5 v Cardiff University at the University Sports Ground, Llanrumney on 19 May, but is still only one of two bowlers to bowl more than 20 overs "off the reel" - continue recovery, albeit slowly, with increase in membership numbers with an impact on helping to put out full teams for more games 2002 - testimonial awarded to Steve Davis - launch first ever website (on the community section hosted by The Western Mail) - web presence helps attract more members, including Australian Dominic Dwyer, who had moved to Cardiff to study so becoming the first known ‘overseas’ player, and a certain Jeremy Sparkes - Andrew Steadman becomes the first player to take four outfield catches in an innings v Barry Wanderers at Sully Hospital on 15 September Entering a new dawn: 2003-2005 2003 - celebrate 25th Anniversary - win first ever silverware securing the Willow League Cup in a dramatic final beating GST by 11 runs at Penarth on 24 July - during this successful Cup run Nigel Moore achieved an unusual feat, taking three wickets in successive balls but against different teams in different rounds of the competition (from his final two balls he took wickets v Chartered Trust in preliminary round at Blackweir on 20 May and then a wicket with his first ball v Sevenoaks [now Eclipse Print] in the next round on 12 June at Blackweir) - this Cup tie against Sevenoaks also featured a never-been-seen-before bowl out as the scores were tied; only Mark Simpson of the 22 players was able to hit the wicket and we met Casuals in the semi-final where we chased down 155 in just 17 overs thanks to a half century from Andrew Steadman and quick-fire cameos from Nick Hutchings and Dominic Dwyer - Dominic Dwyer sets record for the most number of catches in a season with 13 [record surpassed in 2008, see below] - Warwick Armstrong and Andrew Steadman set a club record (still stands) for the highest ever partnership of 181 (unbroken) v Cynon Valley Wanderers at Michael Sobell Sports Centre Aberdare on 12 July - Graham 'Joey' Newbury is made first ever Life President - Graeme Brown, Nigel Moore and Steve Davis presented with long service awards 2004 - testimonial awarded to Nigel Adams - win Willow League Plate - Dominic Dwyer sets record (still stands) for the most runs in a single innings smashing 163 not out v Highways Hurricanes at Llandaff Oval on 29 June - Nigel Adams completes a record eighth season of Captaincy in a period of only 13 years - availability problems persist with 5 of 14 weekend games cancelled as unable to raise a team and we have less than 11 for 3 other games 2005 - successfully retain Willow League Plate - take on inaugural Chairmanship of the Willow League - friendly fixture list ‘thinned’ to create more of a cachet when playing weekend games and we only fail to put 11 Cavaliers on the field in two games due to freak circumstances surrounding injuries - Ross Bowen takes a ‘hat trick’ during a spell of four wickets in five balls v Oz Bar Wizards at Blackweir on 26 May - enter a team in winter indoor league cricket for the first time Cavaliers: the next generation 2006 … 2006 - launch of new website and a new era of technological communication with extensive use of internet, email and text to avoid the notoriously unreliable "please pass on this message to ..." approach or playing tele-tag - acquire new scoreboard and gazebo - Graeme Brown reaches the landmark of 200 (recorded) wickets for the club - set new club record in a Willow League midweek run-chase scoring 181 in just 15.2 overs v Oz Bar Wizards (now Cardiff Bay Barbarians) at Llandaff Oval on 15 August - Warwick Armstrong sets a new club record for the most runs scored in a season with 671 [surpassed in 2007, see below] 2007 - membership numbers soar to a record high of 35 leading to a ‘closing of the doors’ for the season - move to Cathedral School and adopt there as our ‘home’ venue which, together with new membership, enables us to expand the fixture list once more - set new team ‘runs total’ record in a match that we lost scoring 259-8 v South Wales Sri Lankans at Morgan Jones Park Caerphilly on 6 May - achieve highest ever Willow League finish (of 6th) since the Shield/Plate competitions were introduced for the top and bottom half of the table respectively, and so qualified for the first time ever for Willow League Shield - 17 of the club’s 47 fixtures were cancelled or abandoned due to rain - cup semi-final v Cardiff Casuals at Llandaff Fields on 16 July was played in heavy rain and thunder after five earlier attempts to play were thwarted by bad weather - reach Willow League Cup final for the 3rd time in our history but lose to South Glamorgan Education at Cathedral School on 16 August – a crowd of 23 watched the game, comprising 19 Cavaliers and 4 neutrals - Derek Lewis becomes the third Cavalier to take a hat trick, during a spell of four wickets in five balls in an ‘Ashes’ encounter with Chartered Trust at the Cathedral School on 21 August - Andrew Steadman sets a new record (still stands) for the most number of runs in a season with 686 - selections are made for every single game of the season meaning that we never once failed to field a full team of Cavaliers in any fixture 2008 - celebrate our 30th Anniversary with variety of events - launch our first ever cricket ‘Academy’ - first ever overseas tour to Amsterdam - Club history ‘commissioned’ from Warwick Armstrong - Jonathan Thomas begins a record 8th successive year as Treasurer - three of the founder members are still playing - Warwick Armstrong becomes first person to reach landmark of 5,000 career runs for the Club in his innings v Tonyrefail & Edmundstone at the Cathedral School, Sunday 22 June - James Marchant sets 3 new records: most number of wickets in a season (34), most fielding catches (15) and most appearances (30 - all as captain) - unbeaten in Willow League Cup (rain and an unwillingness on part of opponents to agree an alternative venue meant Final was not played this season) - equal club record for most victories in a season (13) - record numbers attend 30th Anniversary Club Dinner |
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