19617 RGS ONA Issue 106.qxp_Layout 1 03/10/2019 17:55 Page 32
CRICKET AT R G S BY BRYAN STEVENS (44-49)
Cricket was arguably the first sport to be taken up at the school, the earliest recorded match being played in 1861, against a local private school at a time when the school, then in Charlotte Square, possessed no playing fields and in any case, as with most schools, there was no provision in the curriculum for sport. Above: RGS Cricket Team, 1936; Opposite clockwise: RGS Cricket Team, 1961; RGS Cricket Team, 1981; Tom Graveny (34-36), RGS’s only Test player to date
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he boys had to arrange the fixtures, find a ground, supply their own equipment, and even pay a professional Coach. All this was organised by the Athletics Club (which also covered rugby) to which the boys subscribed, an arrangement which lasted until the 1890s. When the school moved to Rye Hill in 1870, a playing field was available, but it was too small for decent cricket and grounds had to be hired until the move to Eskdale Terrace in 1906. Records are patchy prior to 1885, when The Novocastrian was founded, but by then there were two teams and the standard was improving. Most of the games were against clubs, since few local schools could supply decent opposition, though we first played Barnard Castle in 1894. In matches against adults, Masters and occasionally ONs played for the school, a common practice at the time. School Colours were first awarded in 1893. Standards improved greatly after 1906, when we had our own playing field and in 1912 Sir Alfred Palmer, Chairman of Governors, presented a pavilion to the school which remained in use for over 70 years. Before and during World War I, we fielded some very strong sides, notably in 1915 (12 games out of 14 won) and 1917 (13 wins out of 17). ONs were becoming increasingly prominent in club and Minor Counties cricket, although as early as 1885,
