In short, the answer comes down to the early months of 1864, and the correspondence that is available makes it obvious that cricket had in fact begun in the district some time before the accounts of these matches were written. At the time of writing (in April 2014) this does however mark as far back in time as I have been able to discover.
In 1863/64, there was no competition - no South Coast competition, no Kiama or Albion Park or Illawarra competition. Clubs did exist, but were more sparsely distributed that is the case in the modern day. In Kiama, the cricket club in existence was the Britannia Cricket Club, and played most of their cricket at what they called the Point Ground, on the site where the Kiama Showground sits today. The first cricket related report for the season showed striking similarities to the modern day Club:
CRICKET – On Thursday last, the day when the proposed match between the married and single was to have been played, the muster of cricketers, we are sorry to say, was not large enough for the purpose. Only about fourteen players in all made their appearance, and a scratch match, such as the numbers allowed, was improvised. There were a few of the right sort present, as Messrs. A. Gordon, J. Williams, T. Fredericks, W. Miller and others, who showed that they had not, during the “recess”, quite forgotten the use of the willow and the proper method of handling a ball.
Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser. Tuesday October 27, 1863. Page 2.
In December 1863, an invitation was extended by the Shoalhaven Cricket Club for a team from Kiama to come down and play a match. This invitation was accepted, and the match took place on New Years Day, January 1st, 1864. The following was an account of the match.
CRICKET MATCH
SHOALHAVEN V. KIAMA
The match between the above clubs came off at Shoalhaven on Friday. The weather was very threatening, but fortunately the rain kept off till it was time to draw the wickets, although the game was not concluded. The Shoalhaveners mustered very strong. We were disappointed by not seeing our own team leave with a few more of the old veterans: no doubt the “colts” did very well, but we think had one or two of the best gone, out men would have done better; still, if we may judge from the scores, we think the Kiamese would have won easily; as it stands, it is a drawn match. The batting of some of the Shoalhaveners was excellent, especially that of James Thurgate, but we can’t say the same of the bowling. The fielding was rather poor also, a good many catches being missed; but the backstopping of Isaac Hyam was very good. The bowling of Williams and Frank Fredericks was very good, and the batting of Wells and W. Gordon was excellent, the latter making some stylish hits. Kiama sent Fredericks and Howard to the bowling of John Monaghan and Green. The Kiama men retired for the score of 75. Shoalhaven then sent Bice and A. Hyam to the bowling of Fredericks and Williams. All out for 49. Kiama went in for their second innings, and some of their best players going out for nil; however they made the fair score of 74; on the whole, considering the small amount of practice which our players have had lately, we think they did very well. Shoalhaven went in for their last innings at 5 o’clock, and played very carefully to the steady bowling of Fredericks and Williams, and there were six of their best out when the wickets had to be drawn, it being half-past seven o’clock, leaving the Kiama men 39 runs ahead.
After the match the Shoalhaven cricketers courteously invited their opponents to a dinner at Mr. Howard’s Royal Hotel, Terrara. The room was tastefully decorated with evergreens, and at the head of the table was a large “English Ensign”. Great credit is due to Mr Howard for the magnificent manner in which the dinner was got up. We need hardly say that justice was done to the good things provided. We believe the return match is to take place in Kiama, in about three weeks or a month.
Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser. Tuesday January 5, 1863. Page 2.
The following are the scores of the match.
Shoalhaven Vs Kiama
2-Innings Match Played At Shoalhaven, 01-Jan-1864,
Match Drawn
Toss won by Kiama
Kiama 1st Innings 75/10 All Out (Overs 21.5)
Frank Fredericks c James Thurgate b J Green 4
J Howard c J Bryant b John Monaghan 11
J Williams c M McNab b John Monaghan 15
John King b M McNab 4
J Miller b John Monaghan 1
W Gordon b M McNab 2
D King b Z Bice 7
P Wells b M McNab 12
C Day st Isaac Hyam b Z Bice 1
T York c M McNab b Z Bice 3
A Cook not out 0
Extras (b3 lb3 w9 nb0) 15
TOTAL All Out for 75
John Monaghan 8 0 20 3
J Green 4 0 19 1
M McNab 7 1 16 3
Z Bice 2.5 0 5 3
Shoalhaven 1st Innings 49/10 All Out (Overs 19.1)
Z Bice b Frank Fredericks 5
A Hyam b Frank Fredericks 4
C Robson c Frank Fredericks b J Williams 5
J Green b J Williams 1
John Monaghan b J Williams 15
James Thurgate b Frank Fredericks 4
Isaac Hyam c J Williams b Frank Fredericks 3
M McNab b J Williams 0
John Thurgate run out 0
J Bryant b Frank Fredericks 2
James Monaghan not out 0
Extras (b10 lb0 w0 nb0) 10
TOTAL All Out for 49
Frank Fredericks 7.1 1 10 5
J Williams 7 2 20 4
J Howard 5 2 9 0
Kiama 2nd Innings 74/10 All Out (Overs 17.4)
C Day b M McNab 0
T York b M McNab 8
P Wells c M McNab b Z Bice 16
J Williams b M McNab 0
J Miller c M McNab b John Monaghan 5
John King c James Thurgate b Z Bice 1
J Howard run out 1
Frank Fredericks b Z Bice 0
W Gordon not out 18
D King run out 6
A Cook c Isaac Hyam b M McNab 3
Extras (b10 lb0 w6 nb0) 16
TOTAL All Out for 74
M McNab 9 0 24 4
Z Bice 5 0 26 3
John Monaghan 3.4 0 8 1
Shoalhaven 2nd Innings 61/6 Closed (Overs 22)
J Green c J Williams b Frank Fredericks 2
James Monaghan c John King b Frank Fredericks 2
A Hyam b Frank Fredericks 2
John Thurgate b J Williams 7
John Monaghan b Frank Fredericks 4
James Thurgate not out 24
C Robson b Frank Fredericks 3
Z Bice not out 5
Extras (b9 lb2 w1 nb0) 12
TOTAL 6 wickets (closed) for 61
Frank Fredericks 11 4 24 5
J Williams 9 3 19 1
J Howard 2 0 6 0
The return match between these two sides did indeed take place, but some weeks later than expected. It was played on Kiama's turf at the Point Ground, and this time the locals were able to exert their dominance over their opponents.
Once again, here is the match account, unedited, as it appeared in the newspaper at the time.
On Tuesday last the return match between the Britannia Club of Kiama, and the Shoalhaven Cricket Club, took place after having been postponed on a former occasion as noticed by us at the time. Most of the Shoalhaven men had arrived the previous evening; and the remainder duly made their appearance in the morning. The wickets were not pitched till between 11 and 12 o’clock; but the afternoon of the day proved quite long enough to decide the game.
The Kiama men went first to the wickets, P. Wells and F. Fredericks leading the van. The former of these speedily disappeared, being stumped in consequence of an injudicious attempt to make a run off the first ball delivered. J. Howard succeeded Wells; and with his co-batsman F. Fredericks, scored rapidly. The latter having obtained a good sight of the ball, drove it to all the points of the compass, making twos, threes, fours and even as many as five for a single hit. Howard retired (bowled by Thurgate) with 14 to his name; while Fredericks continued to handle the willow successfully till, having stood out three or four more of his comrades, he was also bowled by Thurgate for a score of 40.
The batsmen on the Kiama side who in turn succeeded each other, all managed to avoid the misfortune of the first of the team who was put out, though the score of one of the other players John King was but a single. The total score of the Kiama men in this innings was 116. Their opponents had displayed much activity in the field; but the bowling was not such as to puzzle the batsmen to any great degree.
After a “spell” the Shoalhaveners took up the bat, and stationed themselves at the wickets; while A. Gordon, J. Howard, J. Williams and F. Fredericks in turns plied the ball. In this they were more successful than the other party, most of the Shoalhaven team being bowled by one or other of them. The score of the Shoalhaven men in their first innings was only 29.
It was immediately arranged that they should take their second; and in this their luck was only a trifle better – all out for 35. The Kiama men were thus the winners in a single innings, with 52 runs to spare.
It would doubtless have been a much greater gratification to both sides as well as to the spectators had the match been a closely contested affair. We believe one or two of the best of the Shoalhaven players had been unable to come to Kiama; and on the other hand their opponents had in their team at least one excellent player who had not, on the occasion of the previous game, gone to Shoalhaven. As the encouragement of proper kinds of recreation is a matter of no small importance, we shall be glad to find our Shoalhaven friends bestirring themselves to get up in their fine district a really good club. Physical strength and pluck are, of course, not wanting; and there is, we believe, on every hand, plenty of ground suitable for the practice of the game – the latter being an advantage which does not exist in the neighbourhood of Kiama. Our Shoalhaven friends were accustomed, we believe, some years since to consider themselves strong enough to encounter any country club in their vicinity, but whether through neglect of the noble game of cricket, or from some other cause, we do not now think them a match for the Britannia Club, though these are by no means in the best state of discipline. There are, certainly, in Shoalhaven, some experienced players who, if their opportunities serve, are well qualified to train the young members in the business of the cricket field; and we shall be glad to hear of more sustained efforts being made to form a good club. J. Monaghan’s round-arm bowling would, we think, with practice, become very effective, perhaps “first-class”. As it was, there was comparatively little scoring from it. Thurgate’s bowling appeared to have both a good pace and a good pitch; but was not, on the whole, difficult to play.
Some of the Shoalhaveners handled the bat probably as well as any of their opponents; nor did the fielding, on the whole, show to disadvantage. The superior bowling of the Kiama men was the principal agent in producing the very unequal result which the scoring paper exhibited. If the third match of the set is to be played, we shall be glad to see or hear of (as the case may be) a closely contested game, or even a well-won triumph for Shoalhaven. In the meantime, as practice makes perfect, something may be done by making the most of such opportunities as may occur during the interval.
At the conclusion of the game, the Kiama gentlemen entertained their Shoalhaven friends at a sumptuous dinner at Adams’. We need scarcely say, that under the superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Adams, the dinner could not be anything else than magnificent.
Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser. Tuesday February 16, 1863. Page 2.
The following are the scores of the match.
Kiama Vs Shoalhaven
2-Innings Match Played At Point Ground, 09-Feb-1864,
Kiama Win Outright by an Inns and 52 runs
Toss won by Kiama
Kiama 1st Innings 116/10 All Out (Overs 24)
Frank Fredericks b John Thurgate 40
P Wells run out 0
J Howard b John Thurgate 14
T Fredericks c A Hyam b C Robson 2
A Gordon st J Bryant b John Monaghan 8
John King st J Bryant b John Monaghan 1
J Williams b John Monaghan 8
W Miller st J Bryant b A Hyam 3
J Miller b John Thurgate 4
T King not out 11
D King run out 12
Extras (b3 lb1 w9 nb0) 13
TOTAL All Out for 116
C Robson 3 0 22 1
A Hyam 5 0 33 1
John Thurgate 6 0 25 3
John Monaghan 7 0 13 3
Z Bice 3 0 10 0
Shoalhaven 1st Innings 29/10 All Out (Overs 13.4)
J Bryant b A Gordon 2
W Noakes b A Gordon 0
D McPherson b Frank Fredericks 3
C Robson run out 1
John Monaghan c A Gordon b J Williams 7
Z Bice c A Gordon b J Williams 6
A Hyam c&b J Williams 0
John Thurgate b J Williams 1
D Hyam b J Howard 1
K Matheson b J Howard 0
G Barrowdale not out 0
Extras (b5 lb0 w3 nb0) 8
TOTAL All Out for 29
A Gordon 4 1 6 2
Frank Fredericks 4 1 6 1
J Williams 3 1 7 4
J Howard 2.4 1 2 2
Shoalhaven 2nd Innings (Follow-on Enforced) 35/10 All Out (Overs 15.5)
K Matheson b J Williams 1
G Barrowdale b J Williams 0
Z Bice b J Williams 1
A Hyam c&b J Howard 0
C Robson st W Miller b A Gordon 9
John Thurgate b J Howard 8
W Noakes c J Miller b J Howard 0
John Monaghan c A Gordon b Frank Fredericks 4
D Hyam c A Gordon b Frank Fredericks 4
J Bryant b Frank Fredericks 0
D McPherson not out 0
Extras (b8 lb0 w0 nb0) 8
TOTAL All Out for 35
J Williams 4 1 9 3
J Howard 6 1 11 3
A Gordon 3 1 5 1
Frank Fredericks 2.5 0 2 3
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