OAKHAM SCHOOL CRICKET HISTORY

Pre-1884 1821 Match against Grantham College, which was won by 94 runs
1822 Match at Burley-on-the-Hill in September, at the invitation of Lord Winchelsea, to play against the county (presumably Leicestershire); in a letter to his daughter, Georgina, he writes: “I was glad of the opportunity of showing some civility to them, as they have lately behaved very well about my game”; in a following letter he writes: “I invited the whole school and we were about 40 or 50 at dinner, and after dinner one of the boys made a speech to thank me, to which I answered in very fine oratory. ... The boys were victorious. ...... I am afraid they thought me shabby, as I gave my guests only port, madeira and sherry. When they had a match the other day at Rockingham, Lord Sondes gave them champagne, burgundy, etc. etc.”.
1836 Rules of the School Cricket Club drawn up
1846-49 R.T.King (OO) gained Cambridge Blues
1850s R.T.King (OO) played for Leicestershire
1860 earliest 1st. X1 photo extant, and which now hangs in the Wharton Pavilion / now renamed “Stumps”
1866 C.Warren (OO) gained a Cambridge Blue
1876 A.W.Cursham (OO) played for Nottinghamshire (until 1878)
1879 A.W.Cursham (OO) played for Derbyshire (until 1880)
1884 “The Oakhamian”, founded 1884, publishes full match cards
First inter-school match of the period 1884 onwards, v Wyggeston
Hat-trick by R.Bramall, in his first match for the X1
1885 Best individual all-round match performance: K.H.Pearce (123 runs and 9 wickets)
Opposition dismissed for under 50 on three occasions
Only ever 500 runs and 50 wickets in a season: K.H.Pearce (414 runs @ 34.40 and 61 wickets @ 9.48)
K.H.Pearce (OO) played for Leicestershire
1886 K.H.Pearce (OO) played for Leicestershire
1887 From “The Oakhamian” –
If all true lovers of sport in the school would combine together not to get into Detention during the Cricket Term, they would greatly further the course of the game they love at heart. Boys who are in the Eleven manage to keep out of Detention if there is a match on a Wednesday, which should not all the ‘first lot’ do so when there is not a match? Their example would be followed by others, and who can tell but in the course of time, Detention might die a natural death during the summer months, as Oakham goal perished for lack of prisoners.
A.E.Wright (OO) played for Leicestershire (until 1893)

1888 From “The Oakhamian” –
Better times for Cricketers have come. Detention this summer has been held daily at 12 instead of weekly at 2.30, a change which will work in time towards the welfare of the game.
Most losses in a season (10), equal with 1905 and 1947
1889 Tied match (v Norman’s X1)
J.Atter (OO) played for Leicestershire (until 1993)
1890 F.C.Sills took a record 13 wickets in a two-innings match (but see 1892 and 1940)
Tied match
1891 1st. X1 photo series begins, complete to the present in the Wharton Pavilion / Stumps
Renewal of match against Oundle (discontinued 1906, but renewed 1988 to present)
1892 R.B.Upcher took a record 13 wickets in a two-innings match (but see 1890 and 1940)
J.C.Clarke becomes Master i/c Cricket
1896 From “The Oakhamian” –
On 22nd. June Geoffrey William Watchorn died on the field in a sad accident – crushed under the heavy roller when assisting to roll the pitch before a match – in his thirteenth year.
A.O.Jones (captain of England 1907-08) joined the staff until 1898
1897 Tied match (v Old Oakhamians)
1898 First match against Bedford Modern School, but dropped in 1999 after 91 matches
1900 First match against Trent College; series continues to this day
H.Burgess (OO) played for Leicestershire (until 1905)
1901 Worst ever season (75% losses and no draws)
1902 Tied match (v Grist’s X1)
Highest opposition innings total (438)
J.Burgess (OO) played for Leicestershire (until 1913)
C.R.Morris (OO) played for Nottinghamshire (until 1904)
1903 First scorebook extant (and full collection to the present, apart from 1960-69 which were destroyed in the Pavilion Fire, and held in the Barber Room of the Smallbone Library)
1904 Worst inter-school defeat in a single innings match: Oundle 255-7, Oakham 42
1905 Most losses in a season (10), equal with 1888 and 1947
Most wickets in a season: N.A.Skelton (71 wickets @ 13.94)
Hat-trick by N.A.Skelton
First recorded match against an Uppingham side; “The Oakhamian” reports that this match, which had been hurriedly got up as Uppingham had got a whole holiday, was played on the School Ground on Wednesday, June 7th., in weather about as miserable as could be. Oakham 171, Uppingham 226-5 (Oakham lost by 9 wickets)
1907 First match again MCC (match lost)

1908 First victory over MCC
Highest ever 6th. wicket partnership: E.F.Pickering Clarke and H.G.E.Elwood (123*)
1909 Hat-trick by G.O.V.Williams
1913 Most catches in a season: S.H.G.Humfrey 16
Opposition scored over 250 on six occasions in the season
S.H.G.Humfrey (OO) played for Northamptonshire (until 1926)
1914 A.P.F.Chapman scored 200 runs in one and three-quarter hours for the U14 X1 v Stoneygate, and scored 279 runs and took 8 wickets in his only season for the X1, before departing for Uppingham
1915 No draws in the season
Highest ever Oakham innings – 366
Highest ever 5th. wicket partnership: J.Wilson and W.L.Barnett (139)
1916 Best inter-school victory in a one-innings match: Oakham 304-3, Trent 49
Highest ever batting partnership: J.Wilson and C.A.Power (243)
Highest ever 3rd. wicket partnership: J.Wilson and C.A.Power (243)
1917 Least ever matches (6), with 1918
No draws
1918 Least ever matches (6), with 1917
No draws
1919 E.F.Pickering-Clarke (OO) (previous captain of the X1) becomes Master i/c Cricket
A.P.F.Chapman played for OOs (scored 69* and took 5 for 9)
No draws
The X1 scored 250+ on three occasions
Match v Uppingham 2nd. X1 (until 1921)
1920 A.P.F.Chapman (OO) gained a Cambridge Blue
1921 A.P.F.Chapman (OO) gained a Cambridge Blue
1922 Match tied (v Bedford Modern School)
A.P.F.Chapman (OO) gained a Cambridge Blue
1923 Harold Larwood played for Notts Club and Ground against the School, aged 18 (6 overs 2 maidens 0 for 11)
1924 In the match against J.Burgess’ X1, a 12 a-side game, the X1 scored 105 and had the opposition at 36-10 only to lose, with the final opposition score being 109-10 with the No. 12 making 60*
A.P.F.Chapman (OO) played for Kent (1924-28) and gained his first cap for England (26 caps, 17 as captain, 925 runs, 1 wicket)
1925 Match tied (v W.J.Thompson’s X1)
Hat-trick by H.C.Bristow
Highest ever 9th. wicket partnership: C.H.Schwind and I.C.Hill (79)
1928 Highest ever 8th. wicket partnership: J.S.Brown and W.Chatterton (76)
1929 Highest ever 10th. wicket partnership: C.S.Elphinstone and R.K.Allen (99)
1930 First match against Worksop College (discontinued 1937, renewed 1990)

1931 Kent v Leicestershire on Doncaster Close, with Kent captained by A.P.F.Chapman (OO)
Match tied (v Leicester Ivanhoe)
New Pavilion: “The Oakhamian” reported that a new pavilion is nearing completion on the ruins of the old. It is larger than the old one, ... and has a very pleasing thatched roof and a wide verandah. The cream of the walls and the brown of the woodwork and the railways tone to make the whole building most attractive. It was opened by Mrs. Percy Gee to replace an 80 year old pavilion (but was burnt down accidentally in 1970).
1934 J.A.S.Taylor scored two half-centuries in a two-innings match (51 and 51)
P.Vaulkhard (OO) played for Nottinghamshire
1935 Kent v Leicestershire on Doncaster Close: for Kent A.P.Freeman took 8-123
Highest ever 4th. wicket partnership: A.S.Taylor and R.J.Baggaley (188)
J.W.M.Bradshaw (OO) played for Leic

Oakham School was founded in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson. Originally an all boys school, Oakham turned co-educational in 1971 under Headmaster John Buchanan.
The school has a long and proud sporting tradition, and has enjoyed outstanding success in both boys' and girls' sport. Rugby Football became the main winter game in 1892 and the XV played its first inter-school match (against Oundle) in 1894. Oakham has produced four England internationals - G.H.Keeton (3 caps in 1904), W.H.Weston (16 caps inthe 1930's), C.R.Jacobs (29 caps 1956-64, captain), and Lewis Moody (current international and british Lion); additionally Sir Anthony Wharton was president of the RFU 1977-78. The first unbeaten Rugby XV (P13 W12 D1 L0) was in 1953 (a side captained by B.A.F.Smith and which included David Matthews, a past captain, coach, and president of Leicester Tigers), with this feat repeated again in 1978 (P14 W14 D0 L0) captained by R.W.Freer. Old Oakhamian Charles Welch took over as Master i/c and 1st XV coach in 1997, and the new millenium heralded a golden era of Oakham rugby.The 2000/2001 season, under the leadership of Michael Holford, was to be the first of three consecutive seasons during which the 1st XV were unbeaten in the programme of Winter Term fixtures. Furthermore, in the 2001/2002 season, under captain Gray Cullen, the school became Daily Mail Cup U18 Champions, defeating Campion School in a thrilling final, thereby becoming the first one term rugby playing school (i.e. Winter Term only) to lift the trophy. The following season, 2002/2003, the school produced four England U18 players, and under the captaincy of one of them, Joe Wheeler, returned to Twickenham to retain the Daily Mail U18 Cup, this time defeating Barnard Castle. Matthew Cornwell (as captain) & Tom Croft, members of that XV, went on to play for both England U19, and a Grand Slam winning England U21 side . Both soon represented Leicester Tigers in the Premiership, joining Oakham team mate Matthew Smith and other fellow Old Boys of the school Michael Holford and England World Cup Winner Lewis Moody at the Welford Road Club. More recent OO's to join the professional ranks are Chales Beech (Northampton Saints) and Alex Goode (Saracens) both capped at schoolboy and post school age group levels by England. Despite being relatively small in number compared with many of its opponents (500 boys aged 11-18) the school runs 5 senior sides and teams A to D from U12 to U16 levels, and in 2004 the U15 side reached a Daily Mail Final at Twickenham, thereby maintaining the school's affinity with that competition. In recent years the school has embarked upon many overseas pre-season tours, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and South America. Welch handed on the 1st XV reins in 2004, but remains part of a 25 man coaching team led by Ian Smith (a former Leicester Tigers captain and Director of Rugby and now a PE/Maths teacher at the school) and Glen Gelderbloom (a centre with Leicester Tigers 2000-04 and now Head of Boys PE) both of whom coach the XV.