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1880s

1886 – Getting organised

The club was more organised in their second playing season. Henry Lubbock, a keen cricketer, became the new owner of Newberries (and the ground), while Charles Part’s butler, a Mr Birtchnall, became secretary. Practice nights were arranged for Tuesdays and Fridays, and perhaps as a result, the Club did better, winning seven and losing five.

In the Club’s early days, scores of a hundred plus were rare because of the unpredictable wickets. But one of the Club’s characters, F J ‘Dickie’ Forfeitt, scored 66 in an all day match out of 195 to win against a Captain C H Barron’s XI by an innings and nine runs. (Often each side would bat twice in an all day match).

Forfeitt, who taught at Medburn Village School, site of the present Watling Street dog kennels, got all the practice he wanted by encouraging his boys to bowl against him. He did this by placing pennies on top of his stumps.