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Click to read story of club's birth
This appeared in the Sandhurst News, week ending Friday August 30, 1985. Click on image to
enlarge.
THE idea for Sandhurst Cricket Club emerged from a friendly match, played between Sandhurst
Homebrew and the works team from local company, SDL, on Thursday, August 16th, 1984.
The
match was a 20 over affair, and included six players who would go on to be instrumental in the setting up of Sandhurst CC.
They were Andy Hunt, Chris & Martin Pharo, Dave Robinson, Jerry South and Bill Thomas. Also playing in this match were Graham
Fildes, Roger Glanville and Les Roberts, who would turn out for Sandhurst in some of their early matches the following year.
Batting first, Sandhurst Homebrew managed just 93-8 from their 20 overs. Fildes top scored with 30, while Robinson
(16) and Glanville (15) chipped in also. The Pharo brothers remained unbeaten at the end, Martin on seven not out, and Chris
still there on one. Bill Thomas was the pick of the SDL bowlers, claiming 3-11 from just two overs.
In reply, SDL passed their victory target in the penultimate over for
the loss of seven wickets. Having shone with the ball, Thomas then led the way with the bat, top scoring as he did with 34.
It was, in fact, the formation of the Sandhurst Homebrew Circle which led directly to the creation of the Sandhurst
Cricket Club we know today. Both Dave Robinson and Martin Pharo were members of the Homebrew Circle. Dave also worked for
SDL, and his connection there allowed for a ready-made pool of enthusiastic players that convinced all concerned that this
was a venture worth pursuing.
Later that same year, a call went out from the local council to try and determine
whether the town wanted a cricket club ... and the rest, as they say, is history.
* Sandhurst Cricket Club was
established in 1985, during which they played a handful of friendly matches. Our first full season came the following year,
and opened with a home game against West Byfleet on Saturday, May 10th, 1986. It would be another year before we made
our competitive debut in the Berkshire League.
* The club joined the Bracknell Evening League in 1993, and began
with a convincing 58 run win over Boehringer in May of that year. The names of Pharo, Bridges and Fleming were in the
Sandhurst XI - names still connected with the club.
The year of our birth ...
THE club
was established in 1985. What else was happening in that year?
Top Christmas gift for kids were "Transformers" and "Pound Puppies"
"Cor,
stinks in here," were the immortal words that ushered in the BBC's most ambitious new show in 1985 ... Eastenders.
Other top TV shows included Blind Date and The Cosby Show.
Top film: Back to the Future,
starring Michael J Fox
Top fashion: finger-less gloves
Live Aid rocked the world in 1985. The biggest-selling
single in this year was The Power of Love from one-hit wonder, Jennifer Rush.
In other news ...
The first
British mobile phone call is made (by Ernie Wise to Vodafone).
Nelson Mandela rejects an offer of freedom
from the South African government.
Mike
Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first round knockout.
The
Bradford City fire disaster and Heysel Stadium crush.
Boris Becker wins Wimbledon aged 17.
There are race-related riots in Brixton and Tottenham.
Europe wins The Ryder Cup.
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Click on the images below
to see Sandhurst Cricket Club's fixture card for the inaugural season, 1986 ... you may recognise a few familiar names!
Sandhurst's first match in their inaugural season
was on Saturday, May 10th, 1986 at home to West Byfleet. 
EVER wondered why
Sandhurst's club badge is a camel?
Back in 1985, when the club was first established, a logo was sought by the founding members. Among
the founders was Billy Thomas, who was able to call upon the help of an ex-university chum, Andrew Christie.
Andrew
was a cartoonist, whose creations included a comic strip entitled "Beau Peep". The strip was set in the Sahara Desert,
and had amongst its characters a camel called Sopwith.
Now, as our cricket square at the time resembled a cross
between the Somme and the Sahara, it was duly decided that - with Andrew's consent - Sopwith the Camel, surrounded by
a wreath of barbed wire, would be taken as the club crest for Sandhurst Cricket Club. The barbed wire wreath has since disappeared,
while the cricket square has greatly improved, but Sopwith remains ...
Sandhurst CC song
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