When cricket is discussed in Shropshire, the name of Wroxeter & Uppington is well known. It is a long standing, historic club known for its previous great success and high profile within the county for more than 50 years. It enjoys many enviable aspects as a club, a fine historic pedigree, many seasons of top class Shropshire and Birmingham League cricket, and also national success. Currently, the heady days of top flight cricket are happy memories, but the club still produces a competitive squad of players that field two teams who play regularly in the Shropshire League.
The home ground is a well known venue namely, ‘The Avenue’, a beautiful, rural, peaceful ground where many generations of families and supporters have spent idyllic days, enjoying the wonderful friendly atmosphere of traditional village cricket, played on a well maintained, quality ground and with the excellent facilities normally associated with a large town club.
The club is proud of its history, Wroxeter C.C. was formed in 1905 by tenants of the Raby Estate and their friends. Originally, the ground was based at Donnington School where matches were played against other local clubs. In 1921, Wroxeter & now Uppington C.C. relocated to The Avenue, Uppington, and established a good relationship with all in the area.
Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s the club held its own in the top echelon of the Shropshire League, often vying with Shrewsbury C.C. for the top position in the league, something the club achieved 7 times during that period. The club also won the T20 KO competition on several occasions, and performed with much success in the National Club KO. In the mid to late 90s the team comprised of several Shropshire County players as well as those from slightly further afield, most notably, the ex West Indian test cricketer Jimmy Adams.
The club was promoted to the Birmingham League at the end of 2001, rising up to Division One by 2005. Unfortunately, we were not able to maintain the standard required. Following on, over the next ten years there were two associations with other local Shropshire clubs, which were, in part, successful for a time.
In addition to the two teams playing in the Shropshire Cricket League we have a Mid week team that competes in the Shropshire & District Evening League and have recently strengthened our relationship with the Wroxeter Wreckers, previously known as the Wrekin Wreckers, a women’s softball cricket team who participate regularly in the women’s softball cricket festivals, that are supported by Cricket Shropshire.
We are not just about adults either, throughout the season we offer junior coaching for anyone aged 6-13 years and last season we took a team to two junior tournaments, winning both.
In previous years, The Avenue has been the popular venue for County finals, and now in recent years, the club has offered the use of its facilities for Shropshire representative cricket of all ages, from the youngsters at Under 11 to the Over 60s! The club has also hosted the girls’ soft ball finals over the last few years, and aims to increase its availability for such matches in the future.
The club has pre-season indoor nets at the superb facility at Shrewsbury School, and throughout the year receives continual support from the Shropshire Cricket Board, which has been most beneficial.
The facilities for cricket at the club are amongst the best in Shropshire. The ground borders the village of Uppington, has easy access, and a large, safe and secure parking area. The well maintained ground is surrounded by farmland and beautiful scenery. There is ample space for children to play, even when the match is in progress. The spacious clubhouse includes two well equipped changing rooms with showers, and a compact changing room for umpires. The clubhouse offers a large, comfortable seating area including a fully stocked bar and dance floor. Large panoramic windows overlook the pitch and views of the Wrekin. There is a fitted kitchen and recently improved ladies cloakroom which provides space for players to change. The clubhouse is fronted by a pleasant verandah which provides seating area for players, scorers and spectators. There is a remotely controlled electronic scorebox in the corner of the ground.
Set in the beautiful Shropshire countryside below the Wrekin, the club is a great venue for any type of party, celebration or corporate meeting. From weddings to children’s parties, the club has the facilities and room to provide the perfect setting for any occasion and has previously staged many large, high profile events.
Wroxeter & Uppington Cricket Club has always been considered to be a popular ground for all who wish to enjoy an afternoon of cricket. A cup of tea or something stronger is always available! It is a welcoming, happy, safe club for all ages, and also doubles up as the Community Centre for the local Parish. The club offers several social events throughout the year, such as quiz nights, lunches and BBQ’s.
We hope that this provides a flavour of our club, but the best way to discover what we are really like is to come and take a walk around the boundary or join us for an evening net practice. Incidentally, we are a ‘well behaved dog’ friendly club! The wildlife, fauna and flora, is extensive, and we are proud to have several environmental projects at the ground.
We look forward to welcoming you.