Page 28 - Bray Celebrity Cricket Programme Final

THE LEGACY
O N behalf of Maidenhead & Bray
Cricket Club (MBCC), I am delighted to welcome everyone to our club on this special
occasion in memory of our late President, Sir Michael Parkinson.
MBCC traces its formal history back to 1798 with the foundation of Maidenhead Cricket Club, although records suggest cricket was played in Maidenhead even earlier. Originally, our ground was located where Maidenhead United FC now stands; York Road is now officially the oldest continuously used senior association football ground in the world used by the same club. This historic intertwining of cricket and football reflects a legacy that still resonates today.
When I first became Chair, discussions frequently involved the impact of junior football on our outfield during the winter months, and I sometimes wonder whether those in charge of cricket at the end of the 18th century had the same concerns expressed to them – the more things change, as they say...
Throughout the years, our pitch has been graced by cricketing greats, many of whom were drawn here by Sir Michael himself. Household names such as Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Graham Pollock, Fred Titmus, Ray Illingworth, David Gower, Allan Lamb, John Emburey (a former pro for the club),Tom Graveney, Mark Nicholas, Angus Fraser, Dennis Lillee, Graham Gooch, David and Jonny Bairstow, Andy Caddick
and many others have entertained and inspired our crowds.
I am told that Intikhab Alam is the only player to have hit a 6 all the way into the Thames (no-one seems to want to recall who the bowler was!) We are delighted and grateful to see some of these legends back here again today.
MAIDENHEAD & BRAY CRICKET CLUB