Tong Park Cricket Club

Tong Park Cricket Club

Tong Park lies about two miles north of Baildon. The village can be traced back to 1469 and named after William Tong who used the land as a deer park. Today, its chief feature is Wm. Denby's mill. This was built in 1778 and used later for dyeing, spinning and manufacturing textiles.

At the latter part of the 19th century, outdoor sports were becoming popular and teams were formed from churches or chapels and places of work. The Denby's were keen on cricket and offered the club a small field they could play on.

The first match took place 3rd April 1880. No leagues existed in those days. The earliest recorded match took place on 19th July 1890 when Tong Park played Bradford Church Hill but the result is not known. Public transport was virtually non-existent and therefore the games had to be local.

All games were friendlies and some of the teams were Addingham, Dudley Mill Old, Otley, Laisterdyke, Thackley, Charlestown, Esholt, Baildon Green, Windhill and Birklands. The first record in the Telegraph & Argus was against Laisterdyke but alas the game was never finished due to rain.

In 1898, the Bradford & District League was formed with Tong Park being a founder member along with Bankfoot, Birkenshaw, Dudley Hill, East Bierley, Greengates, Laisterdyke, Shelf and Thackley. After the first season in the league, it was decided to move to a new ground between Buck Lane and Esholt Lane.

From the end of the season 1897 to the beginning of the 1898 season, the wicket was laid and pavilion built. Their first opponents were Thackley who batted first and scored 133. Tong Park were 71-7 when time was called.

In 1908, Tong Park decided they would need a better ground so they could play a better standard of cricket in the Bradford League. Above Denby's was a mill dam but the rest of the area was like a swamp. Denby's agreed to foot the bill and work started immediately.

The swamp was drained, the ground levelled, tons of hardcore was laid, topped with ash, then soil and finally turf. The pavilion, the scorebox and refreshment room were built of brick topped with corrugated iron. In 1910, Tong Park joined the new 2nd division of the Bradford League.