Cricket was first played in Potters Bar as part of the life of the village and, as with most village institutions, it is difficult to ascertain precisely when the inhabitants decided to meet at regular intervals to take part in this historic game. However it is certain that organized cricket was being played at Potters Bar in 1862, with the result that all subsequent Annual General Meetings of the club have been numbered from that date.
In the early 1860's, cricket matches were played once a month in a field known as Cow Pasture that lay between the present Cotton Road and Chace Lane. No accounts of these matches are available, but the wearing of top hats was apparently obligatory! By 1870, the club was flourishing and the ground was in Mutton Lane, in a field that was subsequently used exclusively used for football.
The rules of the club were first laid down in 1871, at the instigation of the Rev.H.G.Watkins, the first vicar of Potters Bar and one of the oldest recorded Presidents of Potters Bar Cricket Club. The subscription for a playing member was agreed at 8d per month or 4/-for the season, with all matches being played on Wednesdays or Saturdays beginning at "4 o'clock in the afternoon punctually," presumably after work for the day had been completed. Any member found guilty of objectionable language or conduct on the field was liable to expulsion. By the end of that season, the club had 53 members and a healthy cash surplus over expenditure of £22-17-9d, albeit this was apparently not enough to approve the expenditure of £12 on the leveling of 50 sq.yds of the ground!
By 1874, under the captaincy of Mr. G.D.Faber, Potters Bar were playing matches against Essendon, Totteridge Park and Shenley, with Bengeo, Southgate, Lyonsdown and Wood Green being added to the fixture list the following season.For some reason, however, a challenge from Finchley was refused. Playing colours of green, cerise and chocolate were introduced in 1876, although probably sensibly these were amended to green and cerise the following season.
In 1882 the club moved to a new ground in Coopers Lane, new fixtures with Bamet Grammar School, Cockfosters and Hertingfordbury were added, the Hon. Julian Byng (whose successors still live at Wotham Park in Potters Bar) was playing for the club, umpires were paid 10/6d per match and scorers l/6d, whilst a fine of 2/6d was introduced "for disobeying the instructions of the Captain."
Further changes in ground took place, firstly in the 1890's when the , club returned to Cotton Road and subsequently in 1912 to a field at the top of The Walk. However this field was acquired in 1928 for the widening of the High Street, with the result that after a couple of seasons at Northaw Place, for which consent was kindly given by the owner, Sir Philip Devitt, the Club moved in 1931 to the ground in The Walk that we still occupy, and now own, more than 70 years later.
During the 1930's, the Club went through the strongest period in its history, with a formidable team available under the captaincy of Jack Bell, a fine all-rounder. Although the war brought most club cricket to a close for six seasons, Potters Bar managed to maintain a "skeleton" side throughout the period, with the result that club cricket was quickly resumed in the 1946 season, with many of the pre-war stalwarts remaining at the club.
Further problems occurred during the 1950's, however, with the proposals by the then Potters Bar UDC to make up and widen The Walk, until then an unmade road. Inevitably PBCC was made to pay for the Local Authority's works, and this would have bankrupted the Club had it not been for the efforts of a small group of club members under the control of Roy Sims.
However the efforts needed to pay off the Council inevitably meant a deterioration in the standards of ground and pavilion, with the result that in January 1965 a working party was set up under the chairmanship of John Eke to produce a 10 year Development Plan for the club. The other members of this group were initially Dick Marrison, Colin Moor and Derek Dredge, and by 1977 the entire project had been completed, this including the construction (and subsequent extension) of a new pavilion
The drainage of the cricket square and the majority of the rest of the ground, the creation of a grass hockey pitch for Potters Bar Hockey Club (by then a section within Potters Bar Cricket Club), the construction of a two-storey scorebox, increased car parking and complete landscaping. The costs of these works were covered by grants and loans from a number of sporting and other organisations, and substantially also by interest free members loans, all of which were paid off by the club within the prescribed period.
Since that time, Potters Bar Cricket Club has developed as the sporting centre of Potters Bar, assisted by our subsequent purchase of the freehold interest in the ground from North West Thames Regional Health Authority. Cricket has continued at an ever higher league standard, ladies cricket has now arrived at the club, with disabled cricket also intended, colts (boys and girls) are trained throughout the summer, also playing in leagues throughout Middlesex and Hertfordshire, men's and ladies hockey continues throughout the winter months, whilst other sports involved at the club over the years have included Table Tennis, Judo, Crib and Darts. In addition, the . Club is always available to local organisations, with a number of local charities making use of the pavilion for their weekly meetings, and with the club also always available for hire to both individuals and local organisations for social functions.