| The
club’s first ground was a field loaned
by the late Joshias Rankin and it was from that base in 1938 that
the club gained entry into the North West of Ireland’s Junior
League and Junior Cup competitions.
Early success in Junior cricket, despite interruption
by the Second World War, concluded with a memorable Junior League
Championship and Junior Cup win in 1946 and promotion to Intermediate
cricket followed at the start of the 1947 season.
Over the next 27 years different fields were
used as the club competed in Intermediate cricket with League Championship
wins in 1948, 1954, 1960 and 1962 (Qualifying League) and Intermediate
Cup wins in 1954, 1962 and 1966.
The move to the club’s present ground,
that was then owned by Robert McNeely Junior, took place in the
early 1970’s and turned out to be a major factor in the club’s
desire to play cricket at Senior Level.
In a short time (1974) promotion to Division
2 of the North West Senior League was achieved and the club remained
in that Division until gaining promotion to Division 1 of the North
West Senior League at the end of the 1980 season. Bready also purchased
their present ground in 1980.
Unfortunately after two seasons (1981 and 1982)
in Division 1 of the North West Senior League, Bready was relegated
back to Division 2 of the North West Senior League, but promotion
back again to Division 1 of the North West Senior League was quickly
achieved at the end of the 1984 season and there the club still
remains.
One of the largest crowds ever to turn up for
a cricket match in the North West of Ireland was at Magheramason
on Thursday August 13 1987, when, to mark the formal opening of
the club’s fine new pavilion by the late Alex McBrine (Donemana),
a Viv Richards XI played an Ian Bothams XI. Both of these world
leading cricketers scored excellent centuries in the match which
produced some exciting cricket throughout.
Jubilee Year followed in 1988 and this 50th
Anniversary Year was marked first of all with the Club’s
initial appearance in a North West Senior Cup Final in early August
(lost to Donemana) and then was followed by an International Single
Wicket Competition at the club grounds on Thursday August 11. Australian
Allan Border won the competition.
Two further North West Senior Cup Final defeats
followed in 1989 and 1992, both at the hands of Donemana again,
while at the end of the 1995 season Bready reached the Final of
the All Ireland Senior Cu competition, but in a high scoring Final
at Comber, they suffered a one run defeat against North Down. The
1995 season also saw the club appoint their first professional
player (South African Alex Cilliers).
1996 will be remembered as a great year for
the Bready club. An 8 wicket win was accomplished over Strabane
in the North West Senior Cup Final (A Cilliers 91 and 52 not out)
and the club 2nd XI won the North West Intermediate A Cup competition.
Two further North West Senior Cup Final appearances
against Limavady (1997 and 2002) ended in defeat.
Season 1998 saw new club professional player
Ijaz Ahmed come and go while South African W Smit arrived for the
1999 season to fill the vacancy and still remains. Tribute must
be paid for his efforts in establishing a youth policy at the club
and his coaching expertise has without doubt benefited the club
greatly as can be seen when the Bready Under Eleven team were crowned
All Ireland Eleven Champions for season 2001.
As indicated, earlier family traditions have
always been strong at the club. In it’s time Bready Cricket
Club has been blessed with those of a marked cricketing ability
and those who were content to sit at the boundary’s edge
but did their work on committees and in administration.
Many have written their names indelibly in the records of the club and recognition
of this is recorded in this book and as a result of their endeavours, the club
can look forward to further success in the twenty-first century. |
