This is an update of CENTURY PLUS that was published in 1988 chronicling the events of Shelley Cricket Club and also revising events that led upto its formation.
First it is worthwhile looking at the origins of the publication and the problems encountered.
The Cricket Club possessed a rubber stamp; ‘Established 1890’ so when Neville Taylor approached me a few years before 1990 about doing something for the centenary I was delighted to help.
Pretty soon it became clear that cricket was being played in the village long before 1890, although the1890 date is most possibly true about the Cricket Club as we know it today.
Before that Cricket came under the auspices of the Mechanics Institute based at the Methodist Church. The earliest records of a game that I could find played in the village was on 13 May 1871 when Shelley were beaten by Hillhouse Congregational.
