Tales from the Boundary
Cricket in the late 19th century in the Chelmsford area
By the 1880s local cricket was well established in the Chelmsford area. Little Baddow, although not officially home to a cricket club until 1904, played a match against a combined team from Great Baddow and East Hanningfield in 1793 and another against Boreham in the same year. Little Baddow played Danbury in 1800 and a club was founded in the village as early as 1885 but probably folded soon afterwards.
In 1881 Chelmsford Cricket Club played 14 matches. The club had been playing matches as early as 1811 first in Kings Head meadow and then at Fairfield the site of the current bus station. It had however only reformed in 1879. Finances however were frequently a problem. In 1881 for example a subscription ball was held at the Shire Hall to raise money for the Club. Membership however did rise from 40 in 1879 to 160 in 1892. By 1893 the club was flourishing both on the playing field and financially. In 1894 the club played 23 matches, 17 at home. Matches were played at the New Street ground, later to be the site of the Marconi factory which was its home for 32 years.
By 1902 there were six other cricket clubs in Chelmsford including the Chelmsford Y.M.C.A. cricket club, which had a ground on the Broomfield Road. In 1921 the Chelmsford Cricket Club, without a ground since the building of the Marconi factory, obtained a lease on the water meadow behind the Chelmsford hospital. This was of course destined to become the home of the Essex County Cricket Club. The Chelmsford Club was later to leave this venue for Chelmer Park.