Wanderers XI
Overview

Team info

Downside Wanderers Cricket Club

The Club was formed in the summer of 1885 under the Chairmanship of Abbot Fowler and the first game (and win) was played against St Edmund’s Ware in early 1886, followed in July by a two day game and win by 34 runs over the Sch...

Wanderers XI
Wanderers XI
Wanderers XI

About the team

The Club was formed in the summer of 1885 under the Chairmanship of Abbot Fowler and the first game (and win) was played against St Edmund’s Ware in early 1886, followed in July by a two day game and win by 34 runs over the School.

Regrettably, the Hon Secretary AJ Pursell went abroad after one season, so the early activity of the Club was short lived. Apart from the annual game against the School and a tour to Ireland in 1891 in which all 4 games were won, all is silent until the reunion of the Downside Wanderers after the First World War.

The refoundation of the Club was decided upon at a meeting in 1920 with Dom Bruno Hicks as President and RRA Walker as Secretary. The latter attended the 60th Anniversary dinner at Simpsons in the Strand in1981 and lived on until the early days of this Millennium one short of his century. During his tenure as Secretary and subsequently as President, future longstanding games were established against the Old Wykehamists and the South Wales Hunts. Robert Walker was President when the club was again revived in 1946. Apart from the usual fixtures there were several Irish tours and posters exist depicting the Wanderers as a strong English side!

The highlight of subsequent years was Wanderers week at Downside after the School had gone down. This consisted of three two day games against the Wykehamists, the SW Hunts and the Hampshire Hogs and one day games against Clifton Club and Nomads. A squad of around 16 would be assembled at Downside and there was fantastic hospitality offered by Hugh Watts, the Games Master in Chilcompton and Bobby Arbuthnot, latterly the President, at his house in Holcombe. The Week became a severe survival test of stamina for even the most battle hardened Wanderer. Football was played in the Main Hall against the Old Wykehamists until one year the Week clashed with a retreat for the Diocese of Clifton and the Week’s days were numbered.

In 1968 the Cricketer Cup competition was started with 16 Schools, increasing to 32 a few years later.
The Wanderers were the last club to win a round, beating the Old Brightonians at Brighton in 1976. Over the next few years our performances steadily improved culminating with our appearance in the Final in 1986 against Malvern at Vincent Square. We scored 200, which the Malvernians got reasonably comfortably, but a Tolchard was dropped on 4 early on, which might have made a big difference. As the competition in those days was sponsored by Moet & Chandon, and a trip to Epernay was the Prize for the winners, this was deeply disappointing to say the least.

In 2002, the club held a fund raising dinner at the New Connaught for the refurbishment of the Pavilion. Funds raised that night along with pledges, amounted to £110,000 a phenomenal result. The then Headmaster commented that whilst he had faced the evening with some trepidation, he was very pleasantly surprised to find that the Wanderers were really a very nice bunch!! Having played for them for 52 years I would second that.

We held a 90th anniversary dinner in March 2011 at Armourers & Brasiers Hall, which was very well attended, and the Club continues to thrive with an energetic Secretary Peter Moran and an increasingly younger membership.

Contact
Officials
Dom Walker
Wanderers XI Team Admin
Dom Walker