About Nelson Cricket Club (NCC)

Quo bracae fulvae?

There was a Nelson CC in 1905 and probably well back into the nineteenth century. They reputedly played on the Town Close Prep School ground, next to Notcutts and shared it with Norwich City FC for some time. Philip Yaxley's valuable book "Looking Back at Norfolk Cricket" (Nostalgia Publications, 1997) has a photo of a Nelson CC 1905 fixture card: "Colours navy & white. Practice Tuesday and Friday". If only!

The present club started in around 1986-7 when a group of fathers, talking at Avenues First School, decided that their boys shouldn't get all the fun. They signed up for "Beginners Cricket Coaching" at Trowse Sports Hall ('That's what we need: Lesson One -Picking Up the Bat"}. After the first session - "The cut" (with a tennis ball), "Like chopping down trees" "Yes, but what's that like?" - we were sitting in the Crown Point pub, when someone approached us. He had spotted my 1958 Erith Grammar U-12 (Thirds) cricket pullover (thanks, Mum, it's shrunk a bit, though). Would you like a game he said, yes, sure we said. Who are you, then, he said. Nelson CC, said Bruce, quick as a flash (there had been local elections or something recently and we lived in Nelson Ward).

So, thanks to Dave Potter, of Tatlers Restaurant, Potters Estate Agents, Poringland, Dunston CC etc, a new club was born, or perhaps a famous old one was resurrected! Unfortunately after playing several of the incarnations of Dave's team over the years, we failed to rendezvous one evening at Mulbarton CC (cock-up on the fixtures front.?) and haven't seen them since. How about a reunion Founders' Match?

That first season we played only a couple of matches, including one against the Bell school. Legend has it that one of their players wore green tracksuit bottoms and a Pakistan cap and looked the part. He was out first ball to a long hop and a slick (but fairly rare) slip catch. Unfortunately, he was replaced by Lilian, the dinner lady. We tried everything to get her out but she resisted everything we could throw at her!

We usually start with a practice match at the end of April and then have a match a week, Friday nights and a few Sundays, until the beginning of August. We play only friendly matches, against pub, office teams and so on, and at home try and get people to play our rules: 20 overs, everyone bowls two, retire at 25 (or sometimes 30). Not many teams can actually get ten people to bowl - so we tend to do better at home. We usually meet at the Eaton Cottage afterwards - the landlord, Malcolm is a cricketer, a bit too good for us, really, (must be worth a drink - Ed) but has turned out for us when needed - for example, against the Burston Crown side, who usually have some decent bowlers, pacey by our standards! In '98 he'd done the difficult bit and reached 49 when he was given out Ibw ("halfway down the track" and / or "plumb in front") by our skipper - how Nelsonian! Maybe an appropriate motto would be "Always Corinthian in spirit / Spirito Semper Corinthiaco" - well, no, maybe not.

We had a motto-writing session at one AGM and this provoked a good deal of mirth and discussion - a lot of things seem witty after a few pints, of course. Suggestions included:
Sic transit parotum (psittacus?)
Semper bracae faivae - (Always brown trousers - or some brave members suggested "never / nunquam", others "Where are my / Ouo")
Quod nemo beviet? - (What no-one else going for a drink? OK, what should it be, then? Bibit?.)

We still need those navy & white caps, though - and the practice!

If anyone fancies a Nelsonian type of game against us next season, please contact Dick Catt - Fixtures Sec / Paul Hullock - Captain 01603 - (phone numbers to follow)

Edward Vanderpump - Chairman of Selectors (Yes, I'm still hoping to retain my place in the side for another season!)