Hessle Cricket Club is one of the oldest clubs in Yorkshire. We have played a big part in the local community for nearly 200 years and are working hard to continue to do so for many years to come. 

 

Founded in 1838, the club originally played on a site in the centre of the village up to the 1920’s and then at the local recreational ground. In 1977, we joined forces with Hessle RUFC to provide the community with one of the best all-year round sporting facilities in the area. Set in the shadow of the Humber Bridge and on the banks of the River Humber, this picturesque setting is now our well-established spiritual home. 

 

Hessle CC currently run three senior teams on a Saturday/Sunday throughout the summer and have a vibrant Junior Academy that runs activities throughout the year. Local kids of all abilities, race and gender take part from the ages of 5 to 18. The youth of the community are so important to sustaining the future of our club, and cricket in general, so we nurture this talent with pride and care. 

 

On the field, Hessle was undoubtedly at its strongest in a real purple patch from 1947 to 1963 when our 1st team won the top division 11 times and the cup 3 times. The 1980’s saw the 1st team win the league 3 times in 4 years and the 1990s saw the 2nd and 3rd teams win 4 leagues and two cups. A lean period followed until 2015 when our 2nd team won a T20 cup. Further success soon followed in 2016 with the 1st team picking up a league title for the first time in 30 years. 

 

Our recent successes have not been by accident. We have revitalised the set up after having a long hard look at what was happening within the club and on the local cricket scene. A simple plan – to improve the playing facilities, to attract and keep senior players and attract and develop an army of young people to be the next generation of Hessle cricketers, was put in place in 2016. Chairman Mark Rudston, himself a 4th generation cricketer with Hessle, said at the time “We’ve come to realise that our proud heritage as a club and our service to the Hessle community needs nurturing if we are to continue into the future. Our ambition is to keep going for many years to come by investing time, energy and finances into developing our Junior section and overall cricket facilities to be one of the best in the Yorkshire area.” 

 

The plans we put in place improved our revenue streams included successful annual fund-raising events such as a golf days and T20 challenge matches. Grants were also obtained from the ECB, EYCB and the local council and we secured funds from many local businesses. Thousands of pounds of investment has been made in renewing and improving vital ground equipment, purchasing critical junior playing and coaching equipment and, most importantly, educating our coaches and groundsmen to achieve top ECB qualifications. 

 

Some of the equipment purchased in the last few years includes a Dennis pitch mover, mobile pitch covers, a water hog, an all–weather pitch, an all-weather practice net, a scarifier and an outfield cutter. Our ability to produce great pitches, “get the game on” and run great coaching sessions has never been greater. 

 

Five years ago, the development of our junior section needed a lot of time and money investing after lapsing badly. Money was immediately invested in new junior kit and equipment and in coach development. Free Sunday morning coaching sessions were set up to encourage as many young people to take up the game. Initially numbers were low but, as momentum built, more kids got involved and the section grew and thrived in both numbers and structured activity. 

 

By 2020 we are proud to have arrived at a point where we have launched the Hessle CC Junior Cricket Academy. This offers a pathway to our adult teams from the age of 5 years old. We have a structured age group system where children play and are coached within their age groups and play competitively against other clubs. From 13 years upwards we have a meritocracy approach to young players playing in our senior teams. If they are good enough they will play and we will make sure their first experience in senior cricket is nurtured to help them deal with the transition. Our junior section is currently about 100 strong and activity takes place all year around with sessions moving indoor in the winter. 

 

We believe our future looks bright but there are still challenges ahead over the next few years. These challenges - keeping our players at both senior and junior level, establishing a strong womens’/girls’ section, continuing to inspire new people to get involved with cricket, keeping engaged with the local community and encouraging the governing bodies to look at the format of our game to make it attractive and enjoyable for people to play. 

 

We have a plan and relish the challenges to come. Our ambition is to be one of the best sports clubs in the area. A place to be proud of, be treated well and where talent is nurtured to its full potential. And it will definitely have a passion for cricket! 

 

If you or your family have the same passion for playing or watching cricket as we do, Hessle CC would love to see you.