It’s not just the professional cricketers who are preparing for the forthcoming season as pupils at St. Paul’s Church in Wales Primary School in Grangetown, as part of their programmes of study on local history, are getting ready to participate in a special project, in conjunction with Glamorgan Cricket, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first reference to cricket in Cardiff.
Over the course of the coming months, the pupils from St. Paul’s will be collecting material for special displays plus a short film which will commemorate the first reference to cricket taking place in Cardiff. This relates to a newspaper reference in 1819 which referred to a cricket club having been formed in the town. In these pre-industrial times, cricket clubs were more akin to modern golf clubs with members playing games amongst themselves rather than inter-club fixtures.
The early club folded several times, but cricket in Cardiff was given a massive boost during the mid-19th century by the actions of Rev. Stacey, the curate of St. John’s Church and his son Frank, who each played for a Cardiff and District team against the All-England Eleven at the Arms Park in 1855. Frank Stacey subsequently acted as the solicitor to the Marquess of Bute, and helped to persuade the man who lived in Cardiff Castle, and owned the town’s Docks, to provide land in 1867 on the Arms Park where Cardiff CC could have a permanent home.
The pupils from St. Paul’s will also be visiting St. John’s Church to find out more about Rev. Stacey and why he encouraged the playing of cricket, as well as visiting Cardiff Castle to find out more about the Marquess of Bute and his benevolent actions towards the residents of Cardiff.
To launch the Project, the pupils this week visited the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket to find out more about Glamorgan County Cricket Club, as well as Sophia Gardens, which was another area of land which the Marquess of Bute created for healthy recreation. In addition, the girls and boys had an opportunity to play softball cricket in the National Cricket Centre, and feel the benefits themselves which healthy recreation can provide
Rebecca Morteo, the school’s headteacher said “Thank you Glamorgan Cricket for the wonderful day we spent with you at your headquarters at Sophia Gardens. Our Year 5 children had such a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A staff member commented that it was the best school trip she had ever been on. “
“Particular thanks to the session leader who engaged the children so well when talking about the history of cricket and the Sophia Gardens area. We would highly recommend the opportunity to any other school who would like to become involved with Glamorgan Cricket in studying local history or the heritage of cricket.”