WONERSH CRICKET CLUB Before WW2, the grounds of what was then known as the Wonersh Victoria Cricket Club were sited close to Great Tangley Manor. During a speech at the annual dinner held at The Grantley Arms in 1891, it was noted that the Club had not won as many matches as they could have wished and that “ perhaps they would next year see if they could not have rather fewer matches, and try to win more ”, which at the time must have seemed like a cunning plan. It was also mentioned that, “ perhaps because they were such extremely good players, they were better on a fast wicket whereas that year it had been a very dead wicket” - a comment that to the members’ credit drew some laughter. Speeches continued in a somewhat self-congratulatory vein including a remark that “ the whole of the matches played on the Wonersh ground had been played with the admirable good temper, good feeling and good behavior on the part of all. And the persons who came to witness the matches heard nothing that could offend the most fastidious ”. Behaviour no doubt continued by the Club to this day. Click on photographs to enlarge (All photos above courtesty of Mic Coleman) The current ground was created in 1952 as a memorial to those who fell in the Second World War. It took two years and £1800 to prepare the ground from what was then marshland. Mr Percy M Rees, the Chairman of Wonersh Parish Council, bowled the first ball of the opening match between Wonersh (captained by G Butcher) and Bramley (captained by C Durrant). The batsman in this photograph is Ivor Williams who was then a teacher at Shalford School. The first pavilion on the site was built in 1959 and the current pavilion in 1999 to celebrate the Millenium.