Dringhouses Cricket Club
Dringhouses Cricket Club was formed in 1884 and played friendly cricket on Knavesmire at the bottom of what is now Cherry Lane off Tadcaster Road in Dringhouses.
The Club moved from Knavesmire to its current ground at St. Helens Road in Dringhouses in the 1920s and had its HQ at the Cross Keys public house on Tadcaster Road. In 1947 the club joined the York Evening League with Stan Fawcett captaining the side.
During the 1950s the club strove hard to join the York and District Senior Cricket League with Chairman Lawrie Stirk and Committee member Lawrie Thompson working especially hard to get the ground up to an acceptable standard. Their hard work was rewarded and in 1957 the Club was accepted into the league with Stan Fawcett as its 1st X1 captain. Such was the success of the side its 2nd X1 also gained acceptance in 1959.
In 1958 a new brick-built pavilion was opened by Vic Wilson of Yorkshire CC although the club still retained a base at the Cross Keys pub. To mark the opening of the new pavilion a Bob Ferguson X1 played against a select Yorkshire CC. It was during this period that the club had its most successful period winning the 1st Division title in 1963 and 1965 and the 2nds winning Reserve A in 1962, 1963 and 1964.
The club was also extremely successful in evening cup cricket during the 1960s 1970s and 1980s winning the Myers Burnell, Senior and Junior Charity Cups, the Keith Williamson Trophy and Acomb and Huntington Invitation Cups. The club were in fact the last team to win the Myers Burnell Cup on the old York ground at Wiggington Road in 1966 and the first to win the same trophy on the new Clifton Park ground in 1967.
During the early 1970s the club lost its Division 1 status only to regain it back again in 1973 and the club had a reasonably successfully period under captains Eric Walkington, Alwyn Yorke and Keith Cowl. The 2nd X1 also enjoyed a successful time in the early 70s under the stewardships of stalwarts John Lawson and Alf Patrick. Later in the decade the club saw the return of popular player George Myerscough after major heart surgery. Although still successful during this period the club’s ground was receiving less than satisfactory comments from opposing batsmen which culminated in the club being banned from using St.Helens Road until sufficient renovation work had been completed. During this time Club Secretary Mick Hardy negotiated the use of Rowntrees second ground for matches.
Further improvements to the ground took place in the late 1970s early 1980’s with the building of new changing rooms and the construction of a new Sports and Social Club incorporating both Cricket and Football.
The 1980s saw Mick Kenyon taking over the captaincy and although the club lost several of its older players and the sad loss of hugely popular player Dave Burrows in 1982 the club managed to maintain its status in Division 2 with 2nd X1 winning Division 5 in 1982 and 1986 under captains Graham Reeve and Bill Pearson. This period also saw the introduction of junior cricket at the club with Peter Smales acting as Team Manager, a tradition that was followed on in the 1990’s and 2000’s by Peter Sutcliffe and David Storr.
At the start of the 1990s the club found itself in the third tier of the Senior League but immediately returned to Division 2 after winning Division 3 in 1990. The club were again relegated in 1992 but bounced straight back in 1993 as runners up with new captain Paul Moran at the helm. It was later in this decade that the club made its first foray into the overseas player market with Queenslander Wayne Clayton joining the club and having an immediate effect with club regaining Division 2 status in 1998 following the introduction of the new Premier League.
The 2000s have seen a relative period of stability at the club with club having a long period in Division 2.
1st X1 Captains
1947-66 Stan Fawcett
1967-70 Geoff Limbert
1971-74 Eric Walkington
1975-76 Keith Cowl
1977-79 Alwyn Yorke
1980 Eric Walkington
1981-82 Mick Kenyon
1983-84 Peter Cannings
1985-88 Alan Wilkinson
1989 Mick Kenyon
1990-91 Paul Moran
1992 Alwyn Yorke
1993-99 Mick Kenyon
2000 Ian Bews
2001 Ged Fitzpatrick/Mick Kenyon
2002-03 Mick Kenyon
2004-08 John Crowe
2009-present Andrew Kenyon