I Zingari Cricket Club 1845 Gents of Worcestershire 1848  Incogniti Cricket Club 1861   Free Foresters Cricket Club 1856
Emeriti Cricket Club 1872  Wanderers Cricket Club 1873  Butterflies Cricket Club 1862   Harlequins Cricket Club 1852   
Gents of Cheshire c.1850 
Lords and Commons 1850 Stoics Cricket Club 1877 Band Of Brothers CC 1858  
Yorkshire Gents CC 1863   Quidnuncs 1851    Bluemantles 1862 Gents of Leicestershire 1820/1868
Hampshire Hogs  1887 
Northern Nomads 1892    Craven Gentlemen 1892    Borderers c.1892 
Somerset Stagglers 1900     Devon Dumplings CC 1902     Berkshire Gentlemen 1895    Romany(Yorks) 1895/1902 
Nomads Cricket Club 1903 
Frogs Cricket Club 1903 Gents of Staffordshire 1904    Glamorgan Nomads 1904   
Cornish Choughs CC 1906  Gents of Shropshire CC 1906
Dorset Rangers CC 1906
Sussex Martlets 1905    
Gents of Essex 1907     Yellowhammers 1907″ Cryptics 1910    Invalids 1919   
Gentlemen of Suffolk 1921    Gloucestershire Gipsies 1922     Durham Pilgrims 1922    Penguins 1923   
Thames Valley Ramblers1921  Grasshoppers 1923 Stragglers of Asia 1925 South Wales Hunts 1926 
Lincolnshire Gentlemen 1928 Jesters CC 1928     Romany 1929    Souwesters 1930  
Buccaneers  1930  The Stage 1931  South Oxford Amateurs 1933   Wiltshire Queries 1933 
Gaieties CC 1937   
Flycatchers 1934  
Arabs 1935    Woodpeckers 1936   
Forty Club 1937 
Bushmen 1942 
Cricket Society XI 1949 Boffins  1949
Lord’s Taverners  1950
Almondbury Casuals 1952    Ravers Cricket Club 1954 Grannies 1956  
Badgers Cricket club 1958      Privateers 1958 Saints 1959   Jack Frost XI 1961
Lord Gnomes XI 1963  Mandarins 1963 or 64   Old England 1968   Thames Valley Gents 1968   
Heartaches 1973 Touring Theatres 1974    Weekenders 1970s    Fleet Street Strollers 1976  
Captain Scott Invitation XI   Kensington 1982(1848)  
Chelsea Arts Club 1984
Hetairoi 1980   
Journeymen 1988 Harry Baldwin Occassionals 1986  Sydenhurst Ramblers 1946  Magdalen CC 1944  
Law Society 1929   Brighton Brunswick 1870  Paralytics    London Theatres     1957 
Erratics CC 1934  Butler XI 1988  Spasmodics  1935  Nondescripts           1870s 
Gents of Herefordshire 1850s  Paddington 1920  The Moose CC 1979 Fleet Street Wanderers   1989 
The Philanderers 1986 
Eclectics CC   Phene Philanderers 1968  Fantasians CC 1981
Australia House Temple Sheen Eccentrics CC 1960s Chinghoppers CC 1932 London New Zealand CC 1951
London Erratics CC 1974 Gentlemen of Hampstead CCDemijohns CC 1957Gents of West London CC 1988
Cricketers Club of London 1974Harrow Wayfarers CC 1957Authors CC 1891/2012Strollers CC 2002
Mallards CC 1970sWine Trade SCEast Herts Cavaliers CCFiddlers CC 1947
Pimlico Strollers 1987Shopwyke Strollers CCWarwickshire Imps CC 1925Surrey Cryptics CC 1976
West Norfolk CCSouthwell Rambers CCAncient Mariners CC 1925Refreshers CC 1976
Arden Taverners CCBeamers CCBunburrys CC 1986Barmy Army CC 1995
Mogador Wanderers CC 1949Fathers & Sprogs CC 1982Serbian Sloggers CC 1984Old Castletonians CC 1962
Waggoners CC 1987Old Ashfordians 1928Bohemians CC 1979Goodwill Wanderers CC 1962
Dulwich Wanderers CC 1930Roving Reporters 1973RNVR CC 1946VCC Belsize Village CC 1984
Uplands CC 1930The Blues 1947Tabard Pilgrims CC 1996Nepotists CC 1980
Players & Jesters 1975Gentlemen of Cambridge CCWormcasts CC 1984 Strokemakers CC
Leprechauns CC 1948Thespids CC French Barbarians CC 2015York Wanderers CC 1947
Wessex Pilgrims CC 1977Rioteers CCGents of England 1751/2015Graces Cricket Club
Remnants CC 1980De Flamingo’s CC Hobgoblin Nomads CC 2010Paddington Rabbits CC
Apothecaries & Artists CCThe Min CC 1982 Richmond Nomads CC 1946 The Sunday Seconds CC 2019
Kenya Kongonis CC 1927Chiltern Warriors CCUganda Kobs CC Nairobi Nomads CC(Charity)
Vienna Ocassionals CC 2020 Trojan Wanderers CCMid Sussex & Brighton Nomads CC Salmagundi Gardeners CC
J B CC 2011 Future Legends 2015 Ramblers CC Mpingwe 2014 CC
Carnegie CC 1955 Downsiders CC 1983 Chudley Ales CC 1975 Phoenix CC 2005
Paragon CC 1977 Outlaws CC 1947 Capricorn 1979 Carlton Sports CC 1928
Arcadian Casuals CC 1998 Forest Gate CC 2005 FM Arthur’s XI 1928Ludlow Nomads CC 2016
Lichfield Nomads CC 1982 Nomads CC Wiltshire Northumberland Nomads CC 1944Alderton Wanderers CC
Warwickshire Imps CC 1925 Fulham Taveners CC Soho Cricket Collective 2010 French House Soho CC
All Sorts CC Highgate Irregulars CC Hammer Bottom Butsers CC Cheshire Cats CC
The TBT Toads CC 2010 Newport Gentlemen CC 1980s Dorset Wanderers CC 1980Crocodiles CC 1980
Dragons CC 1933 Ruislip Orientals CC Lemmings CC 1997Far From MCC CC 1998
Not the MCC CC 1984? Hawks CC 1938Bounders CC 1980sThe Spin Doctors CC
Strollers CC Surrey 2002 Wye Rustics CC 1930 Crusaders CC 1982The Further Friars CC
Shepway Stragglers CC 1947 Top Knockers CC 2017Butterlords CCKings Road S & CC 1954
Battersea Bandits CC 2010 Battersea Badgers CC Unabombers CCThespian Thunderers CC
Flying Ducksmen CC Plastics CC Shakespear CCThe Village CC 2004
Wandering City Boys CC The Borderers CC 1895Wyncote Ramblers CCBlack Sheep CC 1989
Old Seagullians CC Mighty Greys CC 1987Burmington Bears CCLashings CC
Still Going Strong CC Birmingham Unicorns CC Danish Forty CCFull Tossers CC 1986
Mighty Wanderers CC North Harrow CC White Walkers CCStags Cricket Club CC
Wandering Crows CC Old Markonians CC Knockers CCOld Victorians CC
Pyestock CC 1947 London Saints CC 1981 I Zingari Australia CC 1888Crusaders Cricket Australia 1977
Kensington India CC 2016 Ramsgate Corinthians CCLondon Nigerians CC 1991International Rescue CC 1991
The Blues 1948 Tunbridge Wells Wednesday CCCornflowers CC London County 1899/1989/2004
The Black Horse CC Lyndhurst CC 1941Compton Dando Nomads CCYork Wanderers CC 1947
Flemish Giants CC

 

Over the course of British Cricket history many Wandering clubs have come and gone. Some became Wanderers with the loss of their original ground while others went from Wanderers to securing their current ground and some of these still kept their original description “Wanderers, Nomads, Ramblers” in the club name. Others failed when no new officers of the club could be found as incumbent men retired or died. The growth of the original Wandering Clubs matched that of Country House cricket. The latter has diminished but some still persist.

Some Wandering Clubs find excellent homes after many decades of Wandering. Hampshire Hogs CC 1877 settled at Wheely Down Warnford in 1966. Pelicans CC 1964 settled at Nag’s Head Meadow Great Missenden and added the name 1996. Armadillos CC 1987 settled in 2009 at the historic Sheffield Park ground. V and A have settled for some years now at Stonor CC. There are more like this. There some mainly Wandering clubs that do however hire a regular home ground for some ‘home’ games.

In addition there are several Clubs with splendid grounds who nevertheless play ‘Jazz Hat ‘Cricket with a fixture list predominantly made up of genuine Wandering Clubs- Hurlingham Club, Honorary Artillery Company, Royal Household , The Earl of Carnarvon’s XI at Highclere , Guards CC at Burton Court, Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC, Gemini,Brook House and Follies Farm Old Spots

Among those that seem to have disappeared are- Concert Artistes CC, The Ducks CC, Carmelites CC, Caterpillars CC, Putney Eccentrics CC, Acenarians CC, Lazarusians CC(Peter O’Toole’s XI), Hampstead Itinerants CC, Dragonflies CC, Hampstead Mercenaries CC, Fencibles CC, Pratlers CC, Thames Valley Gentlemen CC, El Vino’s CC(Reg Hayter’s XI), Malcontents CC and many others.

There have also been Wandering/Jazz Hat sides raised by notable men from varying backgrounds like Hubert Martineau’s XI, Sir Julian Cahn’s XI (he had his own ground as well), Bertie Joel XI, Vic Lewis XI, Tom Pugh’s XI, Joe Cubi’s NPL XI,Capt Hawkins XI (he had his own ground at Everdon), Tim Hudson’s Hollywood XI (with home ground The Birtles Bowl). These sides thrived in their playing lifetime.

Many Cricket & Sports Clubs have been founded by the Old Boys of Schools and Alumni of Universities and Oxbridge Colleges and oftern ‘wandered’ initially. Some have developed into substantial sports clubs with the Cricket sections competing in League Cricket such as Old Haberdashers, Old Merchant Taylors, Old Hamptonians, Old Tiffinians. Old Paulines. Others have wandered for a long time with a cricket week at the school and an annual tour. In particular Eton Ramblers wandered for a century and others like Harrow Wanderers , Stowe Templars, Marlborough Blues, Downside Wanderers, Old Wellingtonians, Old Wykehamists ,Old Amplefordians and Old Georgians still ‘wander. However these Old Boys clubs have a regular home base at the school. Despite their associated names, Rovers, Robins, Ramblers, Hermits, Pilgrims, Saracens etc only a few play away matches except in Cricketer Cup and Cricketer Trophy competition matches. So none of these clubs are genuine ‘Wandering Clubs’ though the Old Boys themselves form a substantial proportion of those playing ‘Wandering Cricket’. They may, of course, fit the description ‘Jazz Hat’ cricket.

In recent decades there has been a steady growth in seniors or veterans cricket. Many of these teams are just an appendage of an established local clubs even though they sometimes give themselves different names often with a ‘wandering’ ring to them. Others develop into an independent veteran Wandering Club like Old Markonians out of Harlow Vets. County Seniors cricket is now well established at over 50s, over 60s and over 70s with national competitions. In one sense all these County Senior sides are Wandering clubs with no fixed abode. However with the exception of Over 70s 3rd XIs they all play limited over cricket in National and or Regional Competitions which is not what Wandering Cricket clubs traditionally do. ECB Over 50s, Over 60/70s.

There is also a category of clubs of no fixed abode but who hire a ground for home fixtures, eg Strongroom CC. Likewise there are similar clubs who hire regularly several home grounds. There are clubs also of no fixed abode who play in mid week evening leagues, 20/20 and Last Man Stands.

If we have missed out a current Wandering Club please let us know and we will update the list. There are some Wandering clubs which are definitely active as they appear in other clubs fixtures lists and in Conference handbooks but do not seem to have a Facebook/Instagram Page, Twitter nor a Website. There is a slight Southern and definite England bias to this list.

Many of the London Gentlemen’s Clubs have cricket teams which wander such as East India, RAC, Saville, Carlton, Groucho and more. Parliament has its own Wandering Club Lords & Commons CC founded 1849. Indeed may pubs and wine bars have nurtured wandering cricket clubs which thrive for a period the most renown being El Vino’s CC. The Royal Opera House has a cricket team as does the ENO.

In 2000 The Cricketer magazine organized a Festival of Wandering Cricket Clubs which was very successful. It had some eccentricities in its invitation list including a non wandering club and excluding some famous and ancient wandering clubs. One evening at the festival Dinner the Stage CC put on an entertainment which was repeated at a PCA event at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2019 South Oxfordshire Amateurs CC staged a Mini Wandering Cricket Clubs Festival involving SOA, Devon Dumplings, Nomads, Frogs, Gaieties and Melbourne XXIX Club.

Hot Press a Wandering Cricket Association (WCA) is in formation striving to promote and support Wandering cricket throughout the United Kingdom and plans to hold Festival in Cambridge August 2022. However this project seems to have stalled at present and its website has expired.

Links mostly go to clubs’ website but also Facebook or Instagram Page, sometimes to a Twitter account. At the time of original publication the links are correct but clubs do change or close websites . Apologies if you click on a broken link. Let us know and we will sort it out.

Click Here

Leaving School & ‘Wandering’ About Your Cricketing Future?

Whither Goest Wandering Cricket? an article by Richard M Edward’s on CCC’s website

More about Wandering Cricket Clubs