THE MONTPELIER CRICKET CLUB by Philip Paine

In late 1845 Surrey C.C.C. emerged from the Montpelier Club, a powerful gentlemen's club based in Walworth, Southeast London. Despite many books being published about Surrey C.C.C. and The Oval, none detailed this earlier club, probably as they left few clues about their origin, grounds and demise. After three years of trawling cricket books, libraries and old newspapers, I have woven my findings into chronological order. It cannot be a complete history as despite their success the club vanished from media attention for two periods and began in 1796 when match reports were nearly non-existent.

The details are laid-out in diary style from 1796, but to avoid it reading like a till-receipt is broken up with pen pictures of players, a potted history of the local area, the problems locating their four grounds, match reports, photos of the sites of their grounds today and three letters outlining the reason for them quitting The Oval (which I believe have never been seen by modern historians). There are also about forty pages of short match reports from newspapers, which although often a routine and turgid read outline their strength, opposition and where they played.

It is A5 size, 236 pages (62,000+ words) and contains, 12 local maps, 17 old and new photographs, 3 prints of The Oval 1848-58, 10 pen-pictures of club players, an etching of their first ground, a painting of The Surrey Tavern c 1858, two paintings of The Oval in the mid 19th century, a photograph of a tankard awarded to their secretary in 1843, details of when they began at and left each of their four grounds and details of about one-hundred-and-forty-odd matches that they played.

It will be signed and numbered by the author and costs a discounted fourteen pounds (to incl p&p) to those in receipt of this advert. It is limited to 250 copies and is available now from author Philip Paine, 17 Norfolk Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN1 1TD. Cheques for £14 to author please.

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