Lewes Priory Cricket Club


Lewes Priory is a cricket club based in Lewes, England. The club is based at the Stanley Turner Ground, Kingston road, Lewes. The Saturday 1st XI plays in the 2nd division of the Sussex Cricket League. The Saturday 2nd XI plays in the 2nd XI Division 2 of the Sussex Cricket League. The Saturday 3rd XI plays in Division 9 of the East Sussex Cricket League. There is also a Sunday XI and an occasional midweek XI that play friendly matches.
Lewes Priory has a large junior section and was clubmark accredited until October 2014. The club runs sides from under-8s/9s to an under-16 development XI
Quite a few of the Lewes Priory junior players play area cricket, eastern eagles, southern sabres etc. The current under 16 team features a player who plays for sussex academy.
Lewes Priory is associated with the annual wandering side Lewes Nomads. In the summer of 2013 and 2014 their tour is to the Isle of Wight.
Some matches are held at Falmer. Lewes are six minutes by train/bus from the University of Sussex.

Honours

The origin of the club extends back to at least 1831 when Mr J. Longford bought 10 acres of the Lewes Priory Grounds from the Earl of Chichester and made some of the grounds known as the 'Dripping Pan' available for cricket

Timeline of club history

DateEvent
1816Window bill for a cricket match to be played on Lewes Hill, near the race stand on Wednesday 4 September 1816. The match was to be between the Gentlemen of Patcham, Poynings, Pycombe and Newtimber with one given Man against the Lewes club. The game was to be played for 50 guineas and the wickets were to be pitched at 9am. The printer was Baxter of Lewes. The originals of the window bill is in the Sussex Record Offices.
1817Window bill advertises a Grand Match of Cricket to be played on Lewes Hill near the Race Stand on Tuesday 2 September 1817 between the Gentlemen of the Brighton against the Gentlemen of the Town of Lewes. It also states that if the morning should appear unfavourable the match would be played in Houndean Bottom. The return match was to be played on Monday 8 September. It also states that "Lambert's Cricketer's Guide, containing the Laws, Bats, Balls, &c, may be had on the Ground". Printed by Baxter of Lewes. The Lewes team is given as: Verral, Rider, Baxter, Green, Lambert, Raynes, Martin, Holmden, Hoye, Venus and Thomas Dexter. The Brighton team is given as Stevens, James Dale, W. Dench, Newel, H Morley, Roff, Hart, J Slater, Evershed, Harriott and Burr. A note states that W. Dench was "whipper-in" to the Brighton hounds. Brighton won by 4 wickets: Lewes 57 and 47; Brighton 57 and 48 for 6.
1818A draft window bill advertises the return match of cricket between the Gentlemen of Lindfield against an unidentified side of gentlemen. It is undated but was found with material dated after 24 August 1818.
1831Club formally established and based at dripping pain site in Lewes, close to priory remains
1836Entry in the Sussex Weekly Advertiser states: "The return match between the Chalvington Club and the Priory Club will come off this day in the above grounds... and the return match between the Priory and Southern Clubs will be played in the park at Firle Place, on the 25th Inst."
1839Window bill advertises match between "Eleven youths of Lewes and eleven of Brighton, all under 14 Years of Age. Match dated 5th September. Organised by W Lillywhite on his ground. A contemporary jotting notes the match was won easily by the Lewes youths. The Brighton list includes J Wisden, as well as Jas and John Lillywhite."
1881 AugustLewes priory cricket club "Cricket Week" included notable opponents in the sporting team I Zingari and the Hurst College
1908Leicestershire fast bowler Arthur Woodcock represented MCC in match against Lewes Priory CC. At this game at the dripping pan he is noted to have "bowled a bail off the wicket 149 feet six inches, sending it over a fourteen feet bank and a wall on the boundary".
1908 Lewes Priory played the United Services at Portsmouth. Priory made 138 and 296 against the United Service's 541. Notable scores were: Commander HDR Watson 101, Lieutenant OE Leggett 101, Commander BS Evans 102 and Staff Sergeant NJ Roche 100>
1934 Date of Stanley Turner Trust Deed to create the Stanley Turner Recreation Ground. This states that "no buildings shall be erected thereon except pavilions, stands or other buildings necessary for the use of the land as a public recreation ground and that in no event shall it be used for the erection of houses" and that "So far as is practicable English timber only shall be used in the erection of gates fences pergolas seats and other wooden erections on the said land"
1944Lewes Priory CC donated £25 to the Daily Sketch War Relief Fund

Club captains

1960 H. Pett
1961 J. Winter
1962 J. Winter
1963 R. C. Cosham
1964 R. C. Cosham
1965 R. C. Cosham
1966 J. O'Connor
1967 J. O'Connor
1968 J. O'Connor
1969 R. C. Cosham
1970 S. B. Hughes
1972 S. B. Hughes
1973 C. H. Johnson
1974 C. H. Johnson
1975 J. O'Connor
1976 J. O'Connor
1977 J. O'Connor
1978 J. O'Connor
1979 J. O'Connor
1980 J. Leckey
1981 B. Holding
1982 B. Holding
1983 B. Holding
1984 R. Seager
1985 R. Seager
1986 R. Seager
1987 R. Seager
1988 C. Hartridge
1989 C. Hartridge
1990 J. Roycroft
1991 J. Roycroft
2000 K. Ibrahim
2001 K. Ibrahim
2002 M. Murray
2003 M. Murray
2004 M. Murray
2005 M. Murray
2006 M. Murray
2007 M. Murray
2008 M. Murray
2009 M. Murray
2010 C. Baker
2011 M. Murray
2012 T. Sharp
2013 R. Eborn
2014 J. Bates
2015 unknown
2016 I. Khan
2017 I. Khan
2018 I. Khan

Club Presidents

To 1981 Rt Hon. Viscount Gage KCVO
1982-1985 S. B. Hughes, Esq
1986-1984 J. P. Beilby, Esq
1995-1996 R. J. Hayward
1996-1999 R. C. Cosham
2000 to date J. A. O'Connor

Notable members

Since 1938 at least six Lewes Priory players have played for Sussex, including: