Cricket has been played in Mumbles village and the Gower Peninsula for more than 130 years.
The Mumbles Cricket Club was formally established as a League side in 1925, the home ground being the Council facility at Underhill Park. In the last 99 years the Club has seen many changes. However the most significant progress on and off the field has been in the last few decades or so, with future developments being discussed.
The most important step was in 1975 when the current Marespool Ground was bought from the Duke of Beaufort. Marespool staged its first League game in 1979. Since then, the five-acre ground, privately owned and maintained, has undergone many changes including new nets, an electronic scorebox and numerous other on-field and Clubhouse additions. In 2012, the Clubhouse was extended into the car park, providing greatly enhanced washroom facilities, storage and changing rooms.
Phase 2 of the Clubhouse extension, the upgrading of the social facilities by providing an all year round function room to replace the smaller summer-only marquee, was completed at the start of the 2017 season. This Marespool Suite is capable of seating 100 plus, and features a commercially fitted kitchen. The Club bar and lounge was also refurbished whilst the car park was both extended, tarmacked and marked out.
Significant investment continues to be made into the quality of the square and the outfield, and Marespool has been awarded Minor Counties status after staging Wales matches and Glamorgan 2nd XI 3-day Championship fixtures. The ground and clubhouse meet the high standards for the top tier South Wales Premier League where Mumbles will compete again in 2025.
Mumbles Cricket Club also gained the prestigious ECB Clubmark Accreditation in 2007, which has been reviewed and renewed ever since.
The Club has not always been as successful and popular as it is today, as these snippets from the archives of over 100 years ago testify
16/02/1911. AGM of Oystermouth Cricket Club at Dunns Café. Chairman Dr. F. de Coverly-Veale reported that the Club was struggling for players, and in danger of folding. “When will the young men of Mumbles shake off their lethargy and awake to the necessity for wiping something off the slate” As a result the Club was declared ‘dead’, and disbanded – “every effort has been made to encourage lads to join the club, but without success”.
22/05/1913. “There appears to be little likelihood of Mumbles having a Cricket Club again this season. What has become of the Mumbles youth of today? Are none to be found possessed of a real live interest in the grand old summer pastime? It seems almost incredible that a place the size of Mumbles, with a population of nearly 7,000 should be minus a Cricket Club”.
CLUB HONOURS
WELSH CUP
Winners 2016
SOUTH WALES PREMIER LEAGUE
Champions 2013
SOUTH WALES CRICKET ASSOCIATION
1st XI
1st Division Champions 2010
Cup Winners 2008, 2010
2nd Division Champions 2008
3rd Division Champions 1982, 1996 & 2001
4th Division Champions 1949, 1954, 1955 & 1975
2nd XI
League Champions Premier West Division 2017
League Champions 1st Division 2006
League Champions 1978, 1981, 1993 & 1994
‘A’ XI
WEST WALES CRICKET ASSOCIATION
1st Division Champions 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015.
Cup Winners 2012, 2013, 2014.
SOUTH WALES CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Champions Division 6 East 2017
Intermediate T20 Cup Winners 2020
Junior Section
U16s – SWJCL League Champions 1985
U15s – SWJCL Cup Winners 2008 & 2013
U14s – SWJCL Cup Winners 2007 & 2010
U13s – SWJCL Les Sharpe Cup Winners 2022
U12s – SWJCL League Champions 2007
U10s – SWJCL League Champions 2019
County Cricketers & League Cricket for Mumbles
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Gilbert Dauncey
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Geoff Ellis
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Gareth Rees
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Mark Hardinges
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Darren Thomas
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Malcolm Nash
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Jim Pressdee
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David Brown | |
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| Aneurin Norman | Stewart Walters | Graham Wagg | |
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| Nye Donald of GCCC | Nye Donald of MCC |
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All Glamorgan CCC except – Mark Hardinges, Gloucestershire & Essex; Darren Thomas, England A, Glamorgan and Essex; “Mumbles boy” Jim Pressdee, Glamorgan and Northern Transvaal (South African Cricketer of the Year 1965);
David Brown, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan; Jim Allenby, Leicestershire and Glamorgan; Graham Wagg, England A, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan; Stewart Walters, Surrey and Glamorgan.
Test Cricketers who have “guested” for Mumbles CC include;
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Jeff Dujon, West Indies
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Javed Miandad, Pakistan
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Keith Arthurton,
West Indies |
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County Seconds and Minor Counties Cricketers who have played for Mumbles include; –
Aneurin Donald, Aneurin Norman, Dion Holden, Dan Roberts, Scott Phillips, Alex Griffiths, Sarthak Sawlani, Rhodri Evans, Dan Lewis-Williams, Steve Powell, Ian Thomas, Mark Shepherd, Morgan Hodges, Tim Hemp, Alex Tunnadine, Willie Davies, Jerry Steele, Simon Lloyd, Mike Staddon, Greg Taylor, Lee Thomas, Chris McKay, Simon Chapman and Phil Shefford.
Mumbles Cricket Juniors who have played for Wales include;-
Rhodri John, Robert Steele, Cameron Protheroe, Jonathan Tobin, Matthew Shepherd, Ellis Jones, Nicola McCabe, Tomas Davies, Ben Francis, Dan Lewis-Williams, Joe Phillips, Ben Christer, Harri Turner, Conor Stone, Henrietta Gilchrist, Jaden Patel, Max Moyes, Rhea Shah and Thomas Ludman.
Individual and Team Performances; Highlights include; –
In 2011, Glamorgan all-rounder David Brown scored 150 not out for Mumbles at Marespool in the Premier League game against defending champions Sully. His outstanding, match-winning innings is the highest individual league and cup score by any batsman at the Mumbles ground. In 2013, Glamorgan’s Stewart Walters scored 145 not out for Swansea at Marespool.
In 2010, Mumbles Cricket had a record season, winning five titles at Senior and Junior levels. The 1st XI were undefeated League champions of the SWCA First Division earning promotion to the top tier South Wales Premier Cricket League.
In 2009 Lee Thomas scored 913 League Runs in the 1st Division in 16 innings at an average of 76.08 with a highest score of 132. If the weather had allowed, Lee had every chance of becoming only the third Welsh-born player to have scored 1,000 1st Division League runs.
Lee also scored 235 Cup runs in 2009, taking him to 1,148 for the season. The photo alongside shows Lee in his role as a seam bowler.
Bob Polden took all 10 wickets in a 2nd XI League game at BP Llandarcy and Jimmy ‘Crackers’ Michael achieved the same feat in a midweek friendly.
Roger Davies, a Mumbles Cricket all-rounder, was the full back for Llanelli when they beat the All Blacks 9-3 at Stradey Park in 1973.
In 2004, three Mumbles left-handed openers each scored League hundreds on the same afternoon – Jon Ellis and Lee Thomas at Pontardawe for the 1st XI and Nick Blyth at Marespool for MCC II.