HISTORY

1988

The Victoria Park Community Cricket League was formed in 1988 to provide a wide range of people with access to competitive cricket.

The first year began as a 7 aside competition before switching to now well known 8 player per side the following year. It's 16 over matches, with 8 bowled from one end and 8 from the following end, to save time.

Originally there was just one pitch, which was refurbished for a memorial match to commemorate one of the members of the first ever touring party to England - King Cole - who died over here, and was burried at Bethnal Green

Cemetery: https://inspiringcity.com/2020/04/19/king-cole-the-aboriginal-cricketer-of-bethnal-green/

The match itself was between a Clive Lloyd XI and Select XI.

On the back of this, the London Community Cricket Association (now The Change Foundation), set up a community cricket league (VPCCL).

More pitches were added in subsequent years.

Gary Horsman was the original Chair (I scored my maiden 50 on my birthday in the first season - Mick Reid (NALGO) was the original Secretary

There were 5 original sides who were:

- Old Fallopians: ever-present: Only original team to persevere with their original name throughout every single season

- Chats Palace (became Homerton): Only other ever-present team, but changed name about 10 years or so ago.

- Tower Hamlets Nalgo (became Rose & Crown): original members, but took a couple of years out,

- Old Lithuanians: representatives of a local Lithuanian community that has existed in the area for over 100 years; Tim Hayden played for them

- Lauriston 7

League fixtures from 1989

The famous chase between Grasshoppers and Sky - Anton's 155 was set before retirments at 50 and his score remains the highest ever VPCCL individual score to this day

2003

From 2003 onwards, the league bought in a rule where players would retire at 50 and only return once when there is one wicket remaining.

Since then, three players have scored a century. Aleem Hussain (103) in 2006, Amir Khan in 2009 and Sanjary Guaredene in 2018, Sanjay is the only player to ave scored a century in a league match with the other two being in the cup.

The highest ever score in the league was 155 in 2001 by Anton Trist, in that extraordinary match against Sky, where the pair raked up an incredible match aggregate of 551 runs.

In total there have been xx teams who have played in the VPCCL, with several of those teams still existing today, with a new name. Sky, who have won the league and cup multiple times were originally Mola Jutt and Super Rangers, another multiple league and cup winner, were originally Technosys and xxx. The Rose & Crown, who have existed since xx were originally Tower Hamlets Nalgo and Homerton began life as Chats Palace.