Woolhampton Cricket Club celebrates its 100 year anniversary with The Hundred-style franchise tournament at Douai Park

A village Sunday league cricket club celebrated its 100 year anniversary with a franchise-style tournament inspired by The Hundred.

Woolhampton Cricket Club, who play at Douai Park and have their facilities at the Douai Pavilion, hosted the ‘8-Ball Blast’ tournament on Sunday, July 10.

The tournament acted as both a centenary for the club, and a fundraiser for the Douai Park Recreation Association (DPRA), which maintains the pavilion and facilities that the club use.

Woolhampton CC member and 8-Ball Blast organiser Andrew Line said: “Last year we found out we were coming up to 100 years completely by chance; that we played our first game in 1922.

“A lot of effort has gone on behind the scenes to get this tournament together.”

Six teams of eight players competed in the tournament, with each game consisting of eight over games (four overs per innings) and each over containing eight balls.

Taking inspiration from short-form franchise cricket tournaments, teams played in colourful kits, matches were played with pink balls and flashing bails signalled a wicket was taken.

The six teams that took part all had connections to Woolhampton CC.

Theale and Tilehurst Titans were crowned 8-Ball Blast champions on Sunday after accumulating 707 points, with Theale and Tilehurst CC also playing at Douai Park on Saturdays.

In second place with 521 points were the Crosfields Magpies, named because a number of Woolhampton players work at Crosfields School in Reading.

The Woolhampton Royals came third with 443 points, and the Old Oratorians, referring to alumni of the nearby Oratory School, came fourth with 432 points.

Some players from St Mary’s Cricket Club also play for Woolhampton on a Sunday, and their team St Mary’s Sizzlers came fifth with 386 points.

And then with 366 points were the Prestcold Peas, a team formed from Prestcold Cricket Club, which is a team Woolhampton have played regularly through the years.

Two outstanding individual performances came from Steven Reid of the Sizzlers, who took the most wickets on the day with six, including four in one over, and from Rob Dimmack of the Titans, who scored 179 runs across five innings and finished with a total strike rate of 289.

Mr Dimmack also scored an unbeaten 51 against the Magpies in the last game of round four while chasing a total of 62.

The Titans managed to chase down Crosfields’ 62 with two balls to spare, ultimately sealing tournament victory for Theale and Tilehurst.

More than £1,500 was raised for the DPRA through donations, raffle tickets, a barbecue and drinks sales, smashing Woolhampton’s initial target of £1,000.

Mr Line said it was a great way to celebrate 100 years of Woolhampton Cricket Club.

“We received really positive feedback from everyone involved and I think we’re going to pencil it in for the same weekend next year”, he said.