HISTORY
Strathkellar to North Hamilton
In 1970 the Strathkellar Cricket Club received the devastating news from the owners of the cricket ground at Strathkellar that they wished to use the ground for agriculture and the club should re-locate to another venue.
The administration of the club on the day approached the Hamilton Recreation Reserve Committee for access to the reserve in King St Hamilton.
Access was permitted and the club committee decided to sever all association with the name Strathkellar and form a new club called North Hamilton Cricket Club and enter a C grade side in the 1971/72 Hamilton District Cricket Association.
In the Clubs first year dual training nets were constructed replacing the portable conglomeration inherited from Strathkellar.
The Rural Employment Development Scheme of the mid 70’s saw the construction of modern club rooms, paving the way for the existing rooms to be used as a store shed, which it still is today.
The Side won a premiership and then entered a B and C grade the following season. The club eventually won the B grade premiership and was promoted to A grade. The A grade side, although enjoying some success was never able to be a powerhouse in the competition.
In 1991 the club applied to the Showground users committee to establish a turf wicket at the Hamilton showground. This application was successful, although it had to be ratified by the Hamilton City Council.
After much procrastination the application was over turned in 1995.
The club then applied to the Council for permission to use the vacant Melville Oval, which it was subsequently granted, a move that proved to be very successful.
In 1998 the club amalgamated with the Byaduk Cricket Club, calling itself North Hamilton – Byaduk. This marriage only lasted two seasons, with Byaduk wishing to reform their original club for an anniversary season in C grade alone.
Luther League to City XI
In Development
Southern Grampians
In 2000, following the separation of North Hamilton and Byaduk, and the development and progression of a number of younger players from City XI, an opportunity was seized by both clubs to forge together into the Southern Grampians Cricket Club.
Upon amalgamation, the club had 3 main home grounds in the Hamilton Recreation Reserve on King Street, Melville Oval on Lonsdale Street, and Tarrington Community Park on the Hamilton Highway (formerly the Tarrington Recreation Reserve). The Good Shepherd Junior Campus in Macarthur Street was also utilized as an additional ground as required.
Gavin Kearney assumed the Presidency for the inaugural year, with Doug Ezard as Secretary, and Chris Austin as Treasurer. On the field, Gavin Kearney took the reigns as the Club Captain until injury saw him pass the captaincy to Chris Morey, with the club fielding 4 teams. Dave Moller (B), Gavin Prior (C) and Greg Whelan (D) accepted the roles for the other 3 captaincies.
As with any new merger, success is not guaranteed, and time is required for the players to blend into proper teams. This meant that for the first year, while finals were not realized in any grade, some fantastic results were achieved, and the foundation was well laid for future years.
Tarrington Begins
On the 26th July 2017, the Southern Grampians Cricket club met at the Tarrington club rooms for it's Annual General Meeting.
Following the election of office bearers, a special resolution was tabled to change the name of the club to the Tarrington Cricket Club to reflect the sole location and ground that we now have as a club. The resolution has followed general discussion within the club over the last couple of years, and really took hold last year as the club struggled for numbers.
Due to the generous discussion that had occurred during the previous season regarding the name change, little discussion was undertaken upon the night, with the resolution referred straight to a vote. The vote was unanimous, and the resolution was passed.
With the name change and the desire for a new identity, a new logo was accepted, thanks to the creative ability of Louise Brinkmann. The club colors were also changed to yellow and black, with the mascot selected as the Tigers.
Leading into the 2017/18 season, the club initially entered a stand alone B grade team, which quickly grew to include a women's team which had previously existed 2 years prior.
The biggest change however became an association with the Tarrington Lutheran School which saw the inclusion of an U12 team directly associated with the club for the first time.
We look forward to having another successful season as a cricket club, providing an enjoyable place for all who are inclined to play or enjoy cricket.
