Medstead & District Knockout

 

The Medstead Knockout is the second-longest established cricket competition in the area. Although it is over 50 years younger than the I'Anson League, its 1957 start predates the Hampshire Cricket League by 16 years.

 

Its inauguration seems to have happened almost by chance! The tale is told that the landlord of Medstead's pub, The Castle of Comfort, was clearing out a cupboard in a back room when he came across two silver cups. They were obviously cricket trophies so he gave them to John Holloway, who was secretary of Medstead Cricket Club at the time.

 

Investigation showed that the smaller one was the original Ropley and District League Cup, which had been competed for by local villages in the 1920s. Having won this for three years it became Medstead's outright in 1927.

A local gentleman, Mr A George Smith, who is thought to have been the President of the Medstead Club at the time, donated the larger cup as a replacement for the competition.

 

 

Medstead won this again in 1928. whether the other villages lost heart because Medstead were so strong, or whether it was for some other reason, but the cup was not competed for again and the Ropley League was wound up.

 

So, with the cups re-discovered, Medstead Cricket Club decided to organise a limited -over knockout competition to be played in the evenings. It was hoped that this would add some interest to the game, which at that time was being played entirely on the basis of friendly matches in this area.

 

In the first final in 1957, Bentworth beat Anstey in a match which was unusual for two reasons. It was not played on Medstead Green and it was not played in the evening! The original evening arranged at Medstead was a washout, and as the two teams involved were playing each other in a friendly match at Anstey Park on the following Sunday it seemed a good idea that this should be combined with the Knockout Final

More on the Medstead Cup >>>