New Mills Bowls, Cricket & Tennis Club
Centenary Celebrations

Chairman Dr Ray Kirby has pledged that the next 100 years will be even better than the last, with the season of celebrations this centenary year setting the tone for the future.

July 1st will be a key date, with an invitation six-a-side cricket competition for Derbyshire and Cheshire League teams, a bowls tournament for top local players and a knockout tennis event. New Mills Brass Band will be adding to the festivities, and there will be a barbecue, tombola and other stalls.

The annual pub six-a-side cricket contest will take place on April 12th. Local businesses are being invited to participate in a six-a-side cricket competition on June 3rd. The tennis section will be holding a social doubles tournament on Sunday 1st July (10.30 am start) to which all club members are welcome. There will be a series of karaoke and quiz nights at the club pavilion. The year of celebrations will end with a Centenary Dinner at the Royal Hotel, Hayfield, on September 29th.

The sports club has a serious purpose for all these events. The 100-year-old pavilion is showing its age and a lottery-funded grant application has been prepared to bring it up to 21st century expectations. Funds raised this year will match the grant the club hopes to gain from the lottery.

New Mills Cricket Club Centenary

NEW CRICKET GROUND FOR NEW MILLS
ASHTON REPORTER - 11TH MAY 1901

After passing many successful seasons along the riverside on the low level ground behind Albion Road, Newtown, the New Mills Cricket Club were turned adrift without a field on account of the field they had for so long used being required by the Midland Railway to carry their line across the Goyt Valley to join the main line at New Mills; thus, without a home and players drifting to other clubs or neglecting to play at all, it looked as though the Club which had existed for generations would collapse and that New Mills as a town would be cricketless.

At this juncture a number of public spirited gentlemen stepped into the breach, a Limited Company was formed with a capital of £800 which was readily subscribed, and another and better plot of land was kindly placed at the disposal of the Committee by Mr. F. J. Sumner, J.P., the local landowner, on a 20 years' lease. This has been well laid out by Messrs. Scattergood and Warrington, who are also supporters of the Club.

In accordance with the plans drawn up by Mr. Walter Bowden of Hayfield, the son of Mr. Tom Bowden, the agent for Mr. Sumner, a beautiful pavilion has been erected by Mr. John W. Swindells of New Mills, the Contractor, and the pretty appearance of the structure excited general admiration and both the architect and the contractor were the recipients of numerous congratulations, which were particularly gratifying to Mr. Swindells, as this was his first contract, The total cost of laying the ground and building the Pavilion was £1,000; the Club has a membership of 240.

The opening ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon (4th May 1901) in the presence of about 1,500 persons, of whom about 1,100 paid for admission, the rest being subscribers, etc. Mr. W. E. Rumney, J.P., in the absence of Mr. J. J. Hadfield., the President of the Club, who was unable to be present at the beginning owing to a personal bereavement, on behalf of the Club presented a gold key to Mr. Sumner to open the new Pavilion. Mr. Sumner made a few remarks appropriate to the occasion and then declared the Pavilion open.

The cricket ground was opened by Mr. J. R. Bowden, Solicitor of New Mills, the son ;of Mr. Sumner's agent, by Mr. Bowden bowling the first ball and Dr. Anderton batted the first ball. The new bowling green was then opened by Councillor Daniel Wood and Councillor John Cochrane, who each sent a bowl over the green.

The gathering included Mr. Francis J. Sumner, J,P., who opened the Pavilion, Mr. Joseph Arnfield, J.P., the Rev. J. Lionel Knowles, M.A., Vicar of New Mills, Mr. A. W. Lowe, Mr. J. P. Liddel, Messrs. Scattergood & Warrington and practically all the leading persons in the town.

After the opening ceremony a cricket match took place between the old time rivals HAYFIELD and NEW MILLS. Everything passed off in a pleasant and agreeable manner and the only thing to regret was that the New Mills Club did not win the first match on the new ground. The scores were New Mills 73, Hayfield 117, all the batters of each side being got out.

The first league game to be played on the ground was versus Haughton in the East Cheshire,and North Derbyshire 1st Division.

New Mills Team: F. Hadfield, J. Taylor, W. Greenwood,
M. Longson, A. Jackson, A. Whiteford, H. Goddard,
H. Cockell, H. Wood, J. Hewitt.