Marehay Cricket Club - 100 years not out!
by Alan Rowley, 5th February 2006

2006 is the centenary year for Derbyshire Premier and County League club Marehay. To celebrate the occasion, they have produced a 48 page handbook documenting their history from their formation as Marehay United in 1906 to the present day.

Written and edited by Ian Walker, Barry Soult and Jack Vickerage, the handbook starts with a foreword from Vickerage, the present club chairman. Inviting the people of Marehay to help make the centenary year a memorable event, Vickerage says: "We have had our fair share of success and failure over the last 100 years, but throughout we have endeavoured to create the right atmosphere from which local cricket can best be played. We as a club will continue to provide the facilities, create the right conditions and try to retain the village atmosphere that is required in this wonderful game called cricket."

The Town Mayor, Mrs Isobel Harry, in her message to the club says: "The new facilities have secured the future of the Club for all aspiring cricketers and provides an excellent facility to encourage the youth of the area to participate in this very popular outdoor sport."

Formed in 1906, Marehay United joined the Ripley and District Amateur League. When the league disbanded in 1910, they joined the Derbyshire Junior Alliance, winning the championship in their first season, a feat they repeated in 1913 and 1928, when the league folded.

In 1919, the Butterley Company built a new pavilion at the Holly Bush Ground, which was to be the club's home until1997 when they moved to their new home across the road at the Maryfield.

Marehay's current run in the Derbyshire County League began in 1972 and in the 23 years up to 2005, they have worked their way through the league, finally gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2004, a year in which they also won the final Silver Link Trophy.

All these historical facts, and more, can be found in the handbook in the form of a useful list detailing the significant dates in the history of Marehay Cricket Club.

Once the introductions are out of the way, the handbook goes on to document several great games from the club's history, starting with the final game from their 1910 championship winning year. Accompanied by a team photograph, there is a full match report and scorecard from the game played against local rivals Heanor.

The handbook is scattered with team photographs right up to 2005, including junior and ladies sides. Some of our older readers are bound to see some familiar faces within the handbook's pages. There are also photographs of the receipt from their 1964 dinner and dance and a poster of a 'Past v Present' game held at the Holly Bush in 1966.

Marehay Cricket Club on the day of the Monsters of Cricket match in 2003

Also featured is an article by Barry Soult entitled 'A Lifetime with the MCC', the full story behind the move to the Maryfield and an artlcle about the youth set-up by vice-chairman and youth coach Mick Buckley.

Marehay president David Durrant concludes the handbook with his 'Final Thoughts'. Durrant hints at some of the events planned for the centenary year saying: "The club has put Ripley firmly on the sporting map and I am sure the good people of Ripley will respond by supporting the main events taking place. These include a centenary dinner, a match against the 'other' MCC and a number of junior cricket events."

The handbook is an excellent publication which will be a fascinating read for all local cricket followers. Copies can be purchased from any club member at a cost of £4.