OAKLEIGH CRICKET CLUB

Oakleigh Cricket Club was founded in 1879. The inaugural meetings of the club were held at the then English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank, the building still remaining on the corner of Dandenong Road and Drummond Street.

The club has always been based at its current location, and up until before the Second World War, actually owned the ground. The club generously ceded the ground to the local council at this time.

The club first played in the Brighton District Cricket Association where it enjoyed an extremely successful era winning multiple premierships. After a brief spell in the Caulfield District Association in the early 1920’s, it joined the Victorian Junior Cricket Association, now the VTCA, in 1929. The club enjoyed another very successful period in this association, but was very keen to improve its standing in the game and was accepted into the Victorian Sub District Association in 1949.

The early years in the VSDCA were difficult as the club established its position in a higher grade of cricket. In 1958 the club began playing its lower elevens, which still played in the VCJA, at the Guest Road Oval, now known as Scammell Reserve. The club used the proceeds from a “Miss Oakleigh” contest to fund the sowing of the wickets and outfield. Together with the main ground, the club could now boast magnificent facilities for players in all 4 senior elevens.

The 1960’s saw Oakleigh establish itself as one of the powerhouses of the association. Under the leadership of Victorian player Val Holten, widely regarded as the most successful batsman to have played in the association, and Australian Test player Lindsay Kline, the club enjoyed a marvellous era.

Unfortunately, the good times did not continue forever and success was limited for many years despite the presence of some wonderful players such as the late Ron Howland and Sri Lankan Test player Amal Silva. During these years some famous footballers, such as Robert Harvey, Bernie Quinlan, David Cloke and David Rhys Jones also proudly wore the purple and gold.

The club has been fortunate to have had some magnicent administrators who have been the glue which has kept the club functioning even through its darkest of periods. The most notable of whom is our present Treasurer Rowland Williams who has worked continuously for the club for the past 52 years, a truly wonderful contribution.

It is a fitting reward to men such as Rowland, our long serving Secretary Bill Knott, recently retired President Peter Webb and club games record holder Allan Stamps that the club is again experiencing another extremely successful era, with multiple premierships and VSDCA Club Championships being won in recent years. Of equal importance has been the re-emergence of the Junior Program headed by club stalwart Neil Croft, which has become the lifeblood of the club and will ensure its future success.