Ivor Markman

By Ivor Markman

 

Cricket historians sometimes joke that when the early Por­tuguese explorers landed on the coast of Southern Africa, they planted crosses but when the English settlers arrived, they planted cricket fields.

Wherever the early settlers went they took their sporting traditions with them, from the green coastal belts to the dusty Karoo heartlands.

Johnny Hobson, grandson of an 1829 Settler, attended Temple­ton School in Bedford where he discovered the love of his life - cricket and when he returned home to Harefield farm he took his love with him.

His love For cricket knew no bounds and he introduced the game to his fellow farmers.

They too fell in love with cricket and were so smitten they founded the Harefield Cricket Club in 1881.

With 13 members they created their place in South African sports history.

Their first recorded match was a highly spirited one played against a home team on October 12, 1881, in Graaff-Reinet.

Harefield lost.

Another ear­ly match was played on Jansen­ville's Market Square.

Harefield won.

When a tennis club was formed at Wheatlands - south of Graaff-Reinet - in 1889, it was de­cided to move the cricket club there as well.

The newly formed body was called Wheatlands Sports Club, with the cricket section retaining the Harefield Cricket Club name.

The first field was estab­lished with a matting wicket and a fast bare-earth outfield.

The opening match played at the new ground was on Christmas Day, 1891, when they played against Graaff-Reinet's Dreadnought Cricket Club.

The Welchman Shield, started in 1904, introduced the first cricket league between Hare­field, Graaff-Reinet, Graaff-Reinet College, Hardwood and Pearston.

Bethesda Road joined in two years later.

In a match against Cradock in 1905, Norman Hobson, who was unfortunately killed during the First World War, set an un­broken record for the most runs ever scored by a Harefield bats­man when he hit 241.

Between the wars Harefield's membership waned until finally in 1928, the club withdrew from the league when it was unable to raise enough players for a team.

Fortunately, the following year, there was an influx of young blood and the club was able to field two teams.

The outbreak of war in 1939 once again put a halt on cricket until after the ces­sation of hostilities.

During the war, 12 of the 22 members of the 1938 team were captured when Rommel took To­bruk but all were repatriated af­terwards.

Three young players - Arthur Parkes, Sandford Hobson and Ebenezer Kirkman - never returned from the war.

When Tom Parkes, owner of Wheatfands, took up the presi­dency in 1946 he offered a nearby piece of land for a new turf.

At the next annual general meeting, the proposal was accepted and the first game was played during the 1952/53 season.

The new clubhouse was opened in 1953.

Most of the clubs played against in the early days no longer exist but Hare­field has survived the trials and tribulations of time.

Membership has consisted mainly of the Hobsons, Parkes, Edwards, Gardiner, Short and Big­gs families.

It was therefore not surprising a large percentage of the guests at the 125th anniversary celebra­tions at Wheatlands in 2006 were from these families.

The highlights of the dinner were a speech by Proteas bowler Vince van der Bijl and a history of Harefield by Chippy Biggs.

Prominent administrators at­tending the function were the pres­ident of the United Cricket Board Ray Mali, the president of the East­ern Province Amateur Cricket Board Raymond Uren, the president of the Central Karoo Cricket Union Ebben Hufkie, and EPACB CEO Dave Emslie.

The celebrations included three 20/20 cricket matches con­sisting of two league matches and a golden oldies match featur­ing Arthur Short and Dassie Big­gs.

The two were members of the first Eastern Province team to beat Transvaal at St George's Park in 1968.