Royal Navy Cricket Club
Encyclopedia
The Royal Navy Cricket Club is a cricket
team representing the British
Royal Navy
and based at the United Services Recreation Ground
, Portsmouth
, Hampshire
. The club was formed in 1863, although cricket is recorded as having been played by seamen since at least the 17th century.
Between 1912
and 1929
some of the Navy's matches had first-class
status, particularly those against other branches of the services, although they also played Cambridge University
, MCC
, and - in 1927
- the touring New Zealanders
. Additionally, in both 1910 and 1911 a combined Army and Navy side played a first-class fixture against a combined Oxford and Cambridge side.
The inter-services competition against the Army
and RAF
still continues, although it no longer has first-class status. Another competition, the Navy Cup, is competed for within the Navy itself. In the 21st century, the Navy has also set up a women's cricket team.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team representing the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and based at the United Services Recreation Ground
United Services Recreation Ground
The United Services Recreation Ground is a cricket ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The first recorded match on the ground was on 17 August 1882 which saw Cambridge University Past and Present play the touring Australians...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The club was formed in 1863, although cricket is recorded as having been played by seamen since at least the 17th century.
Between 1912
1912 English cricket season
The 1912 English cricket season saw the much-criticised Triangular Tournament of Test Matches between England, Australia and South Africa. The contest was effectively ruined by one of the wettest summers on record and was never repeated.-Honours:...
and 1929
1929 English cricket season
The 1929 English cricket season featured a tour by the South African team. In domestic cricket, Nottinghamshire overcame their two northern rivals, Lancashire and Yorkshire, to win the County Championship.-Honours:*County Championship - Nottinghamshire...
some of the Navy's matches had first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
status, particularly those against other branches of the services, although they also played Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
, MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, and - in 1927
1927 English cricket season
Five years before Bodyline, top of the averages in the 1927 English cricket season were Douglas Jardine and Harold Larwood. The season is notable for being the last one to date in which there was no Test series, apart from the years of World War II and 1970 .-Honours:*County...
- the touring New Zealanders
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
. Additionally, in both 1910 and 1911 a combined Army and Navy side played a first-class fixture against a combined Oxford and Cambridge side.
The inter-services competition against the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
still continues, although it no longer has first-class status. Another competition, the Navy Cup, is competed for within the Navy itself. In the 21st century, the Navy has also set up a women's cricket team.
See also
- British Army cricket teamBritish Army cricket teamThe Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
- Royal Air Force cricket teamRoyal Air Force cricket teamThe Royal Air Force cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Royal Air Force. The team played 11 first-class matches: nine between 1922 and 1932, mostly against other branches of the Services, and another two in 1945 and 1946. Their home ground is the Royal Air Force Sports Ground,...
- Combined Services cricket teamCombined Services cricket teamThe Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
External links
- Cricket and the Royal Navy from the official Royal Navy website
- Scorecard Oracle on CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- United Services Recreation Ground on CricketArchive