East Preston Cricket Club

East Preston is a small West Sussex village located on the coast between Worthing and Littlehampton with a population of about 5000. According to our Wikipedia entry,

In 1998 a convenience store was introduced to the village centre, which led to protests at the time with the concern of the corporate store taking trade from the small independent shops and putting them out of business and destroying the village feel of East Preston.

The cricket club was formed in 1860 and boasts a proud history. Many famous cricketers have graced the ground over the years, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Tony Grieg and Ken Suttle who played for the team in the 1990s.

The club was elected to the Sussex Invitation League in 1989. Our best performance to date is finishing 6th in the top division. In 1996 we were relegated to Divison 2, but bounced straight back in 1998 by finishing as champions. The league has now expanded considerably and since the start of the 2002 season and the format has changed several times.

Over the years the club has been very successful, especially considering that for many years only people who lived or worked in the village were permitted to apply for membership. We were runners-up in the Sussex Championship League in 1981, winners of the Worthing & District KO in 1974, and runners-up in 1975 and 1982. The 2nd XI have also had very successful sides winning the Clymping KO in 1969, 1972 and 1973 and the Clymping Plate in 1981, 1989 and 1996.

Our ground itself is situated in the heart of the village and boasts a large pavillion with a bar and good facilities. In addition to the senior playing members, we also have an extremely strong colts section, which benefits from the knowledge of several qualified coaches at the club. This season we have junior teams competing at Under 15, Under 14, Under 13 and Under 12 levels.

In addition to Saturday league matches, we also play each Sunday and host many touring teams during the week. We also organise our own tour, the 40th anniversary of which was is in 2002. The tour takes us down to Devon for a week in August, playing against several strong teams from the Devon League.

As with many clubs, we are always on the lookout for new players. As well as the cricket, we also enjoy several club events, host the Blauuw Cup tournament where local sides compete for a trophy and hold an annual golf day with a trophy and prizes. If you fancy joining the club and becoming part of a tight-knit and social cricket team then please contact us. Alternatively, if you would like to arrange a Sunday friendly fixture or you are touring team coming to Sussex, please contact the fixture secretary to arrange a game.