Proud Preston's glorious cricketing heritage

By Mike Latham

There are many grounds throughout the length and breadth of the country that have staged first-class cricket. Some remain pristine, where it is easy to imagine a county or tour game being staged and look as though they could easily do so again if required.

But there are others where the imagination works overtime to envisage how the ground was ever chosen to stage a county game. Sadly, West Cliff at Preston, one of the red rose county’s historic grounds, now falls in the latter category.

The Cricketers Arms, sadly boarded-up

Approaching the ground down South Meadow Lane at the bottom of Fishergate Hill, the boarded-up pub The Cricketers Arms sets the tone, a reminder of a great cricketing past but an uncertain future. The Preston Sports Club ground is a vast arena, with major landmarks like the railway bridge and some imposing houses which overlook the ground from the banking, a natural amphitheatre. The playing area was even bigger before an all-weather hockey pitch was constructed on part of the outfield.

West Cliff, Preston

Preston is now a vibrant university city, home to thousands of students, but the cricket ground is now tucked away and hard to find for those without a knowledge of the area’s confusing one-way road system and on first impression looks somewhat forlorn and unloved.

Malcolm Lorimer and Don Ambrose co-wrote the superb Cricket Grounds of Lancashire (ACS, 1992) and I am indebted to them for some of the information below.

It can be argued that Preston Cricket Club celebrates its bicentenary in 2021 but there are no obvious signs of anything to mark that amazing landmark at West Cliff. Cricket in the town, Lorimer and Ambrose tell us, was said to have been revived by Preston CC’s formation in 1821, early games played on the Marsh near Ashton and at Penwortham Holme on the South bank of the River Ribble.  They add that the club was reported to have ‘re-established’ and was ‘again in being’ in 1838.

Another view of West Cliff

The present West Cliff ground was purchased in 1859, transformed from swampy waste land into a magnificent arena thought fit to stage a Lancashire county championship game in July 1936, Gloucestershire the visitors with Charlie Barnett, Tom Goddard and Wally Hammond in their ranks. It was the first of five first-class games staged here either side of the second world war, the last in 1952.

The first day of the Gloucester game was sensational, twenty wickets falling as a drying pitch was influenced by warm sunshine. Hammond made light of the difficulties, top scoring with 65 in his side’s 138. Then Goddard got to work, capturing 6-15, supported by Reg Sinfield (4-3) as Lancashire tumbled to 45 all out.

Gloucestershire reached 214 in their second innings, Barnett 59, leaving Lancashire an unlikely 308 to win. By the close, after Gloucestershire had claimed an extra half-hour, they were 80 for 9. The last pair of Eddie Paynter and Frank Sibbles held out for an hour on the third morning until Lancashire were dismissed for 132, compiled in 106.4 overs. Goddard took 5-57 off 50 overs.

No gate was taken on the third day but on the first two days the Preston public supported the game well, 3,369 paying for admission on Wednesday, 4,320 on the Thursday. Including members, the attendance on the first two days was over 10,000 in total.

Advert for the Lancashire-New Zealanders game in 1937

Lancashire returned in 1937, hosting the touring New Zealanders and recording a convincing victory by an innings and 74 runs. The tourists were dismissed for 220 on the first day. Jack Iddon (108) and Norman Oldfield (101) then both hit centuries in Lancashire’s 443, Paynter falling just short with 94. On the last day the New Zealanders subsided to 149 all out.

Lancashire century-makers at Preston: Jack Iddon ....

and Norman Oldfield

Another five-figure crowd was recorded for a game also marked by a fine first-class debut for the 30-year-old slow left arm bowler Cecil Rhodes. Employed in the County Offices at Preston, the Lancaster CC player took match figures of 6-94.

Sussex visited West Cliff in 1938 but the game, which proved to be the final county championship appearance by the great wicketkeeper George Duckworth, was badly affected by rain, no play on the second day, just over two hours on the third.

Lancashire take the field at West Cliff, 1939

With war clouds looming Glamorgan visited in August 1939 as Lancashire recorded a victory by ten wickets just before lunch on the Friday. The weather was much improved and over 8,000 paid for admission during the three days.

Dick Pollard took a hat-trick in his six-wicket haul as Glamorgan struggled to 176. Then Eddie Phillipson took over, hitting the second century of his career and his highest score, 113 in Lancashire’s 284. Phillipson then took 4-19 as Glamorgan, bowled out for 139, struggled to avoid an innings defeat.

Lancashire stars at West Cliff: Eddie Phillipson....

and Dick Pollard

The world was a different place when Lancashire to Preston returned 14 years later, but again rain was the dominant feature, badly affecting the first and third days. Geoff Edrich, a former prisoner of war, scored 57 as the home county struggled against the brilliant young Glamorgan bowling prospect Don Shepherd (6-57) as Lancashire reached 119 on the Thursday. Glamorgan fared little better, bowled out for 124 but then reduced the home side to 59-5 overnight.

Shepherd again bowled brilliantly, passing one hundred wickets for the season and afterwards was awarded his county cap. But after the loss of nearly three hours due to rain, Lancashire batted out for a draw on 111-8, Shepherd 5-44.

When Messrs Lorimer and Ambrose co-wrote their book, they suggested that, with ambitious plans afoot to develop the facilities, West Cliff may again stage first-class cricket. Sadly, nearly 30 years on, that now looks a distant prospect. It’s to be hoped that this historic ground does recapture some of its former glories and that Preston Cricket Club long continue their illustrious history.