1800s

Stevenage Cricket Club was reformed in 1877 ready for the 1878 season. A new ground had been prepared on a field which is now occupied by the police station, railway station and Lytton Way. Prior to this, cricket was mainly for youths or boys. It was only in the early part of the 1870s that adults played regularly. Stevenage Cricket Club lost their ground in 1900. However, they had two options for a new ground. One on land owned by the Rev. Jowitt on the Baldock Road and the other the Chequers Field owned by Lord Lytton. We now know the Chequers Field as Stevenage Cricket Club's Ditchmore Lane Ground and the first game played there was the Club versus "early closing" on the 15th May 1901.

1901 to 1920

In 1906 Stevenage's Wally Shelford created a still unbeaten club record of 150 wickets in the season with his slow left arm bowling at an average of 8.2. This matched his tally of 132 wickets at 7.17 in 1901. When you think that up to the mid-1920s clubs only played about twenty matches a season, Shelford's record was remarkable. In 1906 he became the Club's first county player. His county career record from 1906 to 1930 is 1,840 overs, 5313 runs, 314 wickets at an average of 16.92. He played for the club for over thirty years.

In 1909 the club recorded its lowest ever score, Five (5) all out versus North London.
In 1910 the first pavilion was built. It was wooden and water was from a standpipe.

1920 to 1939

In the 1920s large bowls were provided for washing. In 1922 on the 17th June, P. Clarkson scored 247 against Brondsbury, still a club record. That season in 15 innings Clarkson scored 1101 runs at an average of 78.6.

In 1924 Hertfordshire scored 534 for 8 versus Bedfordshire, which is a County record and the highest score on the ground.
The 1932 AGM adopted the club colours. "The club colours shall be a dark green cap and blazer with the letters S.C.C in gold on the pocket of the blazer and on the front of the cap."

1940 to 1959

On the 4th June 1944 W.C. Jones took 9 wickets for 21 runs, a then club record.
In 1946 the Club's very existence was in doubt, when the new Government created Stevenage as a "New Town", becasue plans were to put a road straight through the middle of the ground, but an outcry prevented disaster.
In 1949 Harold Woods joined Steveange Cricket Club
In 1954 the Club secured a deal from the then Urban District Council. This deal was notable for it secured the ground as a private cricket ground with a white wooden fence dividing it from the rest of King George V Playing Fields.

1960 to 1969

On the 1st June 1960 Trevor Stocks took 10 wickets in a County trial match versus London University.
In 1961 Keith Berry took all ten wickets for Stevenage at North Mymms. Also in 1961 the Club received a 28 year lease from the Local Authority. The Captain during 1961 was Roy Cross who held the post until 1967

A new pavilion opened for use in May 1963. The new pavilion was built for a reduced price of Ł5,500, thanks to contractors boss Len Thompson who was a leading Stevenage player. This sum was made up from grants by the Lords Taverners and fund raising led by Freddie Jacobs who amassed Ł3,150 in a few years.
As a result of grants and liquor license applications Stevenage Cricket and Hockey Clubs came together as the Stevenage Cricket Ground and Social Club and Management Committee. One casualty was that the Stevenage Town Rugby Clubs use of the pavilion in winter months was curtailed.

1970 to 1979

In 1975 an extension was built on the pavilion. This created a new bar and social area plus alterations to changing rooms. In 1976 a new score box was built. 1978 was the Club's centenary year and a game against Cross Arrows was played at Lords on the 8th September.

Batsman: George Briars a member 1907-47 and Captain 1940 to 1943
Left to Right: Jack Franklin, Tony Wright (youngest member of present 1st team), Trevor Wilkinson, Geoffery Powell-Davies, John Barker (ex-Hitchin Captain and President of County Club), Bill Merry (Present S.C.C Captain
The photo was taken on the 2nd July July 1978 during a match vs the MCC. Other fixtures that year included:
4th June SCC v Full Hertfordshire XI

2nd July SCC v MCC

8th September SCC v Cross Arrows at Lords

The SCC side to play at Lords was: RJ Burling, J Wakefield, R Adams, G Darsley, AJ Wright, M Litchfield (capt), P Allen, R Greenall, A Austin (wkt), J McKenna, S Cooke
The Cross Arrows side was: AR Wagner, H Francis, JW Lloyds, U Blades, RE Jones, D English, P Hector, P Morris (wkt), WG Jones (capt), PM Smith
Stevenage won by 3 wickets, Cross Arrows 238, Stevenage 239 for 7, Graham Darsley 93.
From the Cross Arrows side, JW Lloyds became a 1st Class cricketer, WG Jones was a ex-Stevenage schoolboy who was on the Lords groundstaff, David English went on to be a TV celebrity, Eugene Blades was on the Lords groundstaff and played for Stevenage and P Morris played at Stevenage for 2 years

1980 to 1999

In 1981 former Stevenage Cricket Club colt, Roland Butcher, played Test Cricket for England. Roland Butcher was the first Barbados born player to play for England. He started his career as a Stevenage Cricket Club colt playing in the 1st XI and went on the join the Lords groundstaff before becoming an intergral part of Middlesex cup winning sides of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Roland returned to the Club as 1st XI captain in the 1990s.

On Tuesday 5th July 1983 the Club entertained Danish Cricket Club side Leidsche.
In the 1980s the Stevenage Cricket Ground Social Club become a prominent partner with the cricket and hockey clubs. They are currently managers of the pavilion and the ground.
Tony (AJ) Wright was the first winner of the Stevenage Cricket Club Colt of the Year Award, the Robert Adams Memorial Trophy in 1977. AJ went on to play for Gloucestershire through the late 1980s and early 1990s and was County Captain during the time Courtney Walsh was their overseas player.

In 1995 another alteration is made to the pavilion and an 11 year extension to the lease.

2000 onwards

In 2000 the score box is redeveloped and enables the umpires to have there own changing room.
The 2000 season began with a new overseas player for Stevenage namely Pakistan born Murtaza (Murty) Hussain. Murty topped the Premier League bowling averages with a record wicket haul and season fibures of 408.5 overs, 151 maidens, 786 runs and 64 wickets at an average of 12.2. The 2002 season saw Murty return to Stevenage after a summer playing in the Birmingham Leagues. He again performed admirably, picking up over 50 league wickets and scoring over 800 league runs.

The Club Captain, from 2000 to the present, Ian Brown also created a league record in 2000. He was the first player to take 70 wickets in a season. His 61 wickets in the 2nd XI in Division 3 won that League's award and he also took 9 wickets for the 1st XI. For this acheivement Ian won the Captain's Award. The 3rd time he has received the trophy. In 2003 Ian volunteered to drop down from the 1st XI side to captain the 2nd XI.

2003 proved another successful season for the Club, with the 2nd XI winning Division 4 of the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League and the 3rd XI winning promotion from Division 9 of the Herts League as Runners Up.
More details on the outstanding performers and team photos are on the 2000 onwards page.