Before we enjoy our final cricketing weekend at The Wood this season — with home games on both Saturday and Sunday — it feels like the perfect time to look back at where it all began. I hope that across this glorious summer of 2025, you’ve enjoyed Tales from The Wood. Our current players have carved out their own brilliant exploits, built the spirit of comradeship we’re so proud of, indulged in some sumptuous teas, and perhaps raised a glass of Helles B or High D along the way.

But as we celebrate the present, it’s worth pausing to reflect on where it all began.
If you’ve ever glanced up at the Honours Boards in the clubhouse, you’ll have seen the founding year displayed as 1887. Yet, like many good cricketing tales, the truth is a little more nuanced.

In the 1960s, club historian L.C. Waller penned the official history of Outwood Cricket Club and cited 1889 as the founding year. However, Waller didn’t have access to the minutes from Newchapel Cricket Club, which recorded two matches against Outwood in the summer of 1887—evidence that pushes our origins back by two years.

The first of those encounters, on 28th June 1887, saw Outwood travel to Newchapel and suffer defeat. But history was made just a month later. On 23rd July 1887, Outwood hosted Newchapel and batted first, posting 109. While that might not always be a match-winning total, it certainly was that day. Newchapel were bowled out for 22, and following on, managed just 57. Outwood’s first recorded victory was a commanding one—by an innings and 28 runs.

Unfortunately, Play-Cricket wasn’t working that day—in fact, it wouldn’t be invented for well over a century—so the scorecards are a little sparse. But the result is clear, and the legacy undeniable.

That match, however, was almost certainly not played at The Wood. In those early days, games were held on a field near the church. It wasn’t until the early 1890s, after the old brickfields and yards were cleared, that the club moved to its now-iconic home. The original pavilion—yes, the one before the current structure—was built between 1896 and 1897 at a cost of £198 and seven pence. Before that, the “pavilion” was a tent, brought to the ground by pony and trap. A far cry from today’s setup, but no less full of character.

So whether you’re a player, supporter, scorer, or tea-maker, you’re part of a story that stretches back well over a century. And as we look ahead to the future, it’s worth remembering that every innings, every wicket, and every shared laugh adds another line to the tale.

Elsewhere in 1887

Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years on the throne.
Arthur Conan Doyle published his first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet.
Horse racing dominated the sporting pages, with The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News covering events like the Grand National and Ascot.
Popular songs included:
- “Ti! Hi! Tiddelly Hi!” by Joseph Tabrar
- “Comrades” by Felix McGlennon & George Horncastle
- “Away in a Manger” (first published with music by James Ramsey Murray)