Sir Alastair Cook headlines Topsham cricket celebration

The historic connection between Topsham St James Cricket Club and Exeter City Football Club was celebrated on Saturday, 25 January, with the unveiling of a plaque at the Adam Stansfield Stand at St James Park, prior to Exeter City’s match against Blackpool.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of St James Cricket Club, which played its first matches at St James Park.

Matthew Williams, Chair, and Sheila Harding, Honorary Secretary and Life Member of the Cricket Club, along with other members, were invited by Exeter City’s Chair and Chair of the Supporters’ Trust, Nick Hawker, and Club Director, Clive Bawden, to unveil the plaque.

Williams took the opportunity to thank Exeter City Football Club for their support, stating: “We are very grateful to ECFC for all their help in facilitating the installation of the plaque and to those in the museum who helped unravel the early history of the Cricket Club.”

St James Cricket Club played at St James Park intermittently from 1875. In the late 1800s, they used other grounds before finally leaving the park in 1908 when Exeter City turned professional and joined the Southern League, which required the ground to be levelled and expanded.

For the next 80 years, the club had a nomadic existence before moving to Bonfire Field in Topsham in 1989, where they shared facilities with the Rugby Club for three decades. The club changed its name to Topsham St James Cricket Club.

By 2019, growth at both the Cricket and Rugby Clubs led to Topsham St James relocating to the University of Exeter’s Sports Ground. The club now boasts over 150 children aged 7 to 15, as well as men’s and women’s teams.

To mark the 150th anniversary, a formal dinner will be held at Winslade Manor on 28 March, with former England captain Sir Alastair Cook as the special guest, participating in a Q&A session. On 22 June, a Lord’s Taverners XI, captained by Somerset and England legend Andrew Caddick, will take on a Club XI at the University of Exeter Sports Ground in Topsham.

The event will feature activities for all ages, including food vans, a beer tent, and an ice cream bike, making it a day for the whole community to enjoy.

For more information about joining the club, attending the dinner, or the Lord’s Taverners Day, contact Sheila Harding at sheila@courtfield4.co.uk