Wakefield Thornes Cricket Club

We are a thriving and successful club with strong junior and senior sections. We run three senior teams playing in ECB Yorkshire South Premier League, South Yorkshire Senior Cricket League and the Pontefract League. We have junior teams at every age group from Under 9's through to Under 17's who play in the Heavy Woollen Junior League and Leeds League. We also enter an Under 19's team in the ECB T20 blast

In recent years the club has enjoyed unprecedented success with three ECB Premier League titles. In 2016 we were crowned the inaugural Yorkshire Premier Cricket Champions following a thrilling win in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

We have also made significant improvements to our ground and facilities  since 2010 with a new pavilion and relaid outfield and square. We believe we now offer first class facilities and we stage county age group and other representative fixtures and finals

We are an ECB Clubmark club and promote initiatives such as All Stars cricket. We run school holiday cricket coaching and multi sport courses  - both at our ground and in conjunction with other clubs around Wakefield

We have a thriving social programme and always offer a warm welcome to new players, spectators and social members.

Our clubhouse can be hired for parties, meetings and other functions.

History of Wakefield Thornes Sports and Social Club 2009

The Wakefield Thornes Social Club roots first started 87 years ago as part of a social club for the workers of Patons and Baldwins, famous for their yarns, wools and knitting patterns.

Patons and Baldwins started with two textile firms. John Paton Son and Company, from Alloa, and J&J Baldwin and Partners, founded in Halifax, joined together to create Patons & Baldwin.

John Paton, a wool dyer and spinner in the Scottish town of Alloa, formed his company in 1814. He died in 1848, but the company continued in family hands and would later grow to be valued at more than £1.7m.

J&J Baldwin and Partners was the brainchild of James Baldwin, who saw his wool washing and spinning venture, begun in a back yard, grow rapidly with a series of mergers.

In 1920 the two parent companies, merged into one as Patons & Baldwins, quickly expanded, buying wool manufacturing mills in England, Canada and New Zealand.

Patons & Baldwins (Rutland Mill) first played cricket and football on a field near the railway arches at Thornes in 1920 and played a game of cricket against the other P & B mill in Wakefield (Thornes Mill).

In the early 1920s, as a result of that game, it was decided that a sports club should be formed for all employees of both mills in Wakefield and the present ground at Thornes was purchased. This was one of many Sports and Social clubs created for their employee.

In February 1934 a subsidiary of P & B (Wood & Burtt, Woollen Section) was allowed to join the sports club by paying ld per week. From 1922 to 1933, P & B played in the Wakefield & District League, when they then joined the Denby Grange League until the outbreak of the 1939-45 war.

After the war they rejoined the Wakefield & District League where they played until 1963, when they left to play in the Pontefract Section of the Yorkshire Council.  During this time the company merged with Coats to become Coats Paton Ltd. In 1970 they joined the Central Yorkshire League of the Yorkshire Council until 1973 when they changed their name to Wakefield Thornes after the sale of the ground to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.  Official links to Paton and Baldwin, or Coats Viyella as the company became in 1986 were now finished.  To this day Wakefield Thornes still play in the Central Yorkshire League of the Yorkshire Council.

WAKEFIELD THORNES SPORTS CLUB - 1973 -

Keith Aaron was the first Secretary of the Club (1973 to 1981) when the Club changed its name. Keith Aaron originated the new name of the Club from P & B to Wakefield Thornes at a meeting at the City Hall with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council who agreed to the name change. With the Club now being owned by the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, a management team had to be elected to oversee the administration of the Club. The management team consisted of representatives of all sections of the sports club, ie bowls, cricket, tennis and, at one time, both hockey and archery. Because the Club was no longer subsidised by anyone, revenue had to he earned to keep the Club running and a very successful event was a six-a-side cricket competition, first organised in 1974 (sponsored by the Wakefield Express) with other events running at the same time. The other events included bowls and tennis competitions, a football target competition, a darts competition, side shows, exhibitions by a ladies keep-lit club, and a game of cricket for blind people. All these events took place on the same Sunday, when the finals of the six-a-side cricket competition were taking place. A licensed bar was also available. The cricket competition started with 32 teams playing in leagues with the top 8 teams competing in the finals. One of the teams who regularly played in the finals included several West Indian test players, eg Collis King, Irving Shillingford, Derek Parry, and Sylvester Clarke. Everybody enjoyed playing against them.

The first groundsman at Wakefield Thornes was Roy Ward who worked for the Council. Roy carried on the tradition started by George Burdett in providing good wickets, a good outfield and excellent bowls and tennis facilities. After 10 years, Roy left to take up a similar position at Castleford Savile Park who play in the Yorkshire League.

In 1984 the Club obtained a bar licence which added to the facilities of the Club.

In the 1996 season, M Alvey scored two centuries. In the same season, the Australian A Steenholdt scored three centuries and totalled 965 runs for the season. On 20 July 1996 against Hopton Mills away, M Alvey and A Steenholdt scored 242 runs for the first wicket in a total of 393 for 8 declared, a club record score. Their opponents scored 277 all out. In the 2000 season, M Garside playing for the 2nd XI, scored not out centuries in 2 successive games.

In 2004 the club managed to secure funding for an artificial wicket to be installed.  This allowed the club to develop a strong junior section. They now have under 9, 11, 13, 15’s and three senior teams.

Following an agreement with Wakefield Council to provide the club with a 25 year lease further funding was gained.  2009 saw the building of a new pavilion to provide modern facilities and continue the growth in the clubs popularity.

Achievements 

1ST AND 2ND TEAM HONOURS 1932 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. J Walton 1936 2nd XI Davy Cup Winners, Capt. E Richardson 1938 1st XI Denby Grange League Shield, Capt. C Cass 1944 1st XI Wakefield Cup Runners-up 1946 1st XI Wakefield Cup Runners-up 1946 2nd XI Horbury Cup Winners, Capt. I Scott 1947 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. E J Brook 1948 1st XI Wakefield Cup Runners-up 1950 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. C Cass 1954 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. S Wandless 1955 1st Xl Wakefield Cup Runners-up 1956 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. B Wigglesworth

1957 1st XI Wakefield Cup Runners-up 11957 2nd Xl Section D League Winners, Capt. E Taylor 1958 2nd XI Section D League Winners, Capt. K Laybourne 1959 2nd XI Section D League Winners, Capt. E Wood 1960 1st XI Section A League Winners, Capt S Wandtess 1961 1st XI Wakefield Cup Winners, Capt. S Wandless 1962 I st Xl Section A League Winners, Capt. S Wandless 1962 1st XI Knockout Competition Winners, Capt. S Wandless 1962 2nd XI Horbury Cup Winners, Capt. 0 Sharpe 1966 2nd Xl Gundhill Trophy Runners-up 1967 1st XI Stones Cup Runners-up, Capt. J Tunnicliffe

1997 - Present

1997 – CYCL  Stones Cup  Capt M.Bolland

2000 –  CYCL Second Division – 2ND x1 Batting M.Garside  509 runs  56.55 ave

2005 – CYCL Second Division 1st xi  Champions – Capt D.Colquhoun

2005 – CYCL Second Division Batting  D.Reed 602 runs 60.2 ave

2006 – CYCL Forth Division – 2nd xi Promoted – Capt J.Butterworth

2007 – CYCL First Division – 1st x1 Promoted – Capt D.Colquhoun

2007 – CYCL First Division Bowling award – D.Colquhoun 50 wickets ave 10.80

2007 CYCL First Division – Junior Bowling Award G.Rhodes