A History of North of Ireland Cricket Club

Henry J.McCance founded the North of Ireland Cricket Club on 29 November 1859 chaired a meeting in the Royal Hotel, Donegall Place, Belfast, with Alexander C. Dobbin as Secretary. Records suggest that the Club was founded as a result of agreement between the Officers of the Belfast Garrison and members of the Belfast Cricket Club. Certainly members of these two teams, which had played against each other in 1859, formed the majority of the first side fielded by North of Ireland in 1860.

This side played its first match away from home, on 6 June 1860 against Ballymena, when the 'North' won by an innings. The return match was played at the home ground ('Ormeau') a fortnight later, North winning, once again by an innings. The first Club records were established in this first season.

The first half century was made in the the first game by the professional (and Captain), Thomas Heighes (50 not out), who also took eight wickets in Ballymena's second innings and Thirteen wickets in the match. The first innings of over 200 (219) was made against Bootle at home, and the return against Bootle was played during the Club's first tour.

During this first season North also played a Scottish Club, the Thistle Club of Glasgow. By the end of the season the Club had played an All Ireland Xl and an All England Xl. The match against England pitted twenty players from North plus Two Bowlers against a team of English professionals most of whom had been on the first tour of an English side, which had gone to Canada and the United States the previous year.

The Club continued to thrive during the 1860s, the first century being scored by A. James in 1862 when he made 102 against Northern Wanderers. The fixtures in that first decade included matches against Phoenix, (then the premier club in Ireland), Na Shuler, ('the Rovers'), the Gentlemen of Yorkshire, and I Zingari.

In 1866 North were obliged, by the development of the railway, to move a short distance to a new ground. On Monday 23 July 1866, the new ground, which retained the name of 'Ormeau' was inaugerated with a two day match against Na Shuler, which North lost, possibly due to the late arrival of C.E. Stelfox, without whose 'terrifics' Na Shuler were able to make a total which North could not catch. Finally of note in that first decade was that on the 15 May 1867 a twenty two of North and Ground beat a representative all England Eleven by eight wickets.

In the first year of their second decade North visited Lords, where, on 14 and 15 July they beat the M.C.C. by nine wickets, the M.C.C. making 133 and 127 and North replying with 260 for 1. In 1875 the Great Man himself, W.G. Grace visited Ormeau, and his United South of England side (which included James Lillywhite) narrowly avoided defeat by a XXII and Ground of North. North made 220 in the first innings, and the U.S.E. side made 121 in reply, Grace scoring 28. The U.S.E. side followed on and made 182, including 41 from Grace, leaving North to score 84 in the 65 minutes left on the third day of play. North came up 8 short of victory for the loss of 6 wickets at the close of play; a splendid game to mark a splendid occasion.

1880 was marked by the first game on Irish soil by an Australian touring side, when, on their first tour of to Britain, the Australians played an Eighteen of North. The Australian side included W.L. Murdoch, and A.C. Bannerman, and, although level at 102 after the first innings, the Australians caught North's second innings total of 130 for the loss of one wicket. In this season, too, a record was made which stands to this day when Thomas Morgan carried his bat for 202 not out against Northern Rangers at Ormeau, the Club's only double century. In 1882 Thomas Morgan became the first bowler to take over 100 wickets in a season, and in 1885 North scored their largest ever total, 405, in a match against Strabane at Ormeau.

The Club's fortunes take a slight downswing in the years after the formation of the Northern Cricket Union, and the inauguration of the N.C.U. Challenge Cup in 1887. They did however reach the final in the first year and won the trophy in 1889. During the 1890s North did not always compete in the Cup, and many of its members who played for two Clubs chose to play for their other Club in competitive games.

There were, however, perhaps two highlights to the decade, one obvious, and one not quite so. The first was the visit of the South Africans in 1894, and the second was the first century for the Club by a young player called Oscar Andrews, who made 148 not out against Pembroke in 1898. The 1800s closed with North the winners of the N.C.U. Senior League, formed two years earlier, and on the verge of the Club's 'Golden Era'. During the early 1900s and in the years leading to the First World War North won the Senior Cup 9 times and were League Champions on seven occasions, and there is little doubt that this success was, in a large part, attributable to one man.

Hailed in the press as 'Champion Cricketer', Oscar Andrew's record as a cricketer is unparalleled in the Club's history. Although records are not complete, he is known to have scored over 12,500 runs, with at least 13 centuries, and a top score of 186. As a bowler he took in the region of 1500 wickets, taking 100 wickets in a season 5 times. In 1905 he completed a unique double in the Club's history, scoring 1148 runs at an average of 57.4 and taking 103 wickets at 9.76. In achieving this he became the first man in the Club to head both the batting and bowling averages, a feat which he was to repeat three years later.

During this period a number of record partnerships were played, most notably the highest partnership of all, 316 made in 1909 for the first wicket between H. A. Moore and A.N. McClinton against Phoenix. In 1911 an emerging talent, William Pollock, batted with Oscar Andrews in a match (also against Phoenix), the pair hitting 161 in 45 minutes! No cricket was played at North during the Great War, and immediately after the War the Cricket Club merged with the Rugby Players, who had been rented ground at Ormeau to play Football since 1868, to form the North of Ireland Cricket and Football Club. Oscar Andrews kept playing until the middle of the 1920s, but it was William Pollock who dominated the first half of that decade. He scored 1061 runs in 1922, and in four of the five seasons up to 1925, headed the bowling averages.

As opening bats Pollock and J.C. Walton laid the foundation of many of North's victories, and in the 1925 Senior Cup Final, the pair made the 106 required for victory without being separated. North continued to challenge at the highest level during the following seasons, however success in the Cup was not achieved again until 1938, and it was two years after this before they won the League again. The most prominent names of this period were the three Morgan brothers, Harry, Stanley and Reggie. Also the Jackson brothers, Finlay, Stanley and Harold. William Pollock's son Stuart began to make his mark, and in 1928 a young Arthur Douglas hit 196 runs in the Senior Cup against Lurgan, establishing a record score in competition which still stands. In the same match his bowling figures were 25.2 overs 12 maidens 37 runs for 6 wickets!

During the Second World War the N.C.U. Senior cup competition continued to be played, although the cup itself was not presented, a set of stumps being the prize to the victors. In 1946 North were once again league champions, and, along with Stuart Pollock some new names came to the fore. George Morrison a most consistent scorer of runs; Don Shearer, an accomplished and attractive bat, Eddie Marks a sound bat and first rate wicketkeeper. Slow bowler Sonny Hool,and fast bowlers J.W. Hill and Stanley Hewitt, who pounded the turf, and the opposition, for two decades. All these players were capped for Ireland, Stuart Pollock 41 times, and in 1956 Stuart's father William, was honoured with the Presidency of the Irish Cricket Union.

During the fifties and into the 60s the team was built around these players, and succeeded in the League in 1954 and 1957, and in the Cup in 1951 and 1956. 1960 was the Club's centenary year, and was celebrated with the opening of a much enhanced pavilion. The cricketers added to the celebrations by achieving the 'double'. The team won the League in the following year, but it was not until 1969 that they took the Cup again. On the playing front all rounder J.F. McNamee, his brother Basil and bowler Given Lyness made their mark, and towards the end of the 1960s the young players that were to bring the side into the modern era began to appear. The Club was honoured in 1966 when Don Shearer was made the President of the Irish Cricket Union.

The 1970s produced little in terms of results. In 1971 the League title was shared with Waringstown, but no other major Trophies were won. Fine players joined the side as the old guard retired, but, although results were respectable, trophies proved elusive. As Stanley Hewitt, the MacNamees and others left the scene the challenges were taken up by younger players. Phillip Billingsley, Michael Crooks at the start of the decade, joined later by Simon Corlett, Paul Jackson, Robert 'Herbie' Parkhill, William Kirk and David Johnston.

In 1980 the club decided to employ a professional, Kevin Skjoldhammer, a South African, and in the same year that they won the Senior Cup. In 1981 Charles Beverland joined the side and began a career during which he was to accumulate more half centuries than any other player (with the possible exception of Oscar Andrews). 1980 was also the year in which Stuart Pollock became President of the Irish Cricket Union.

Of those who played during the 1980s there are three who deserve particular mention. Simon Corlett, an opening bowler of grace and power, and a batsman who played many decisive innings and Paul Jackson a wicket keeper without peer in Ireland. These two earned over 150 caps for Ireland between them. The third is Herbie Parkhill who batted and bowled with gritty determination and considerable effect throughout his years at North, and whose Captaincy and presence on the field did much to ensure the success of the team through the decade. It was Herbie who lifted the first All Ireland Cup for North when it was inaugurated in 1982. This was the year in which Simon Corlett took 104 wickets, the first player known to break the 100 mark in competition only, the previous year he had set another record by taking all 10 wickets against Downpatrick.

In 1990 Charlie Beverland scored 1076 runs, the first player to break the thousand mark since William Pollock in the 1920s, and probably the only one to have done so in competition only. In the same year Charlie and Peter Law set a new high for the second wicket, 192, and in that year and the next had two more partnerships of over 150, Charlie scoring centuries in all three. Dean Simpson's score of 165 n.o. against Armagh in 1986 is also worthy of note, the highest score of all in limited over cricket, and second only to Arthur Douglas in competition.

Meanwhile Paul Jackson was overhauling Eddie Marks as the Club's most prolific keeper, making the previously rare total of 30 victims' a season seem commonplace. Of note in recent years; the Napier brothers, David and Mark, David with bat and ball and as captain of the Senior Cup winning side of 1990, and Mark, the most naturally talented batsman for some years, and Colin Magowan, a quick scoring bat, and wily slow bowler.

Thanks to Peter Russell for his help in putting together this history information. We will be adding to this section in the forthcoming weeks so if you have any other information you feel is of use to us please do not hesitate to contribute; old photos especially welcome !