History

Ventnor Cricket Club, originally established as Undercliffe CC in 1850, traces its roots back to the vibrant cricketing scene of the Ventnor area. From its early matches played across various locations, the club found its permanent home in 1885 at Steephill, nestled within the historic Steephill Castle estate. Since then, it has proudly carried the banner of Ventnor CC, embodying the rich cricketing heritage of the region.

In its formative years, matches consisted of two innings per side, often resulting in combined totals of under 100 runs. Such games were a testament to the raw essence of cricket, played amidst the picturesque backdrop of the sheep-grazed outfield.

Early success was had when Ventnor CC in 1889 were victorious over Newport CC to claim the First Division championship.

In 1892, a milestone was reached with the inauguration of the first pavilion, a symbol of Ventnor CC’s growing presence and commitment to the sport. The honour of opening this pavilion was bestowed upon Mr. H. Sewell, then president and esteemed owner of the castle, lending further prestige to the occasion.

In 1904 brought about by discontent among locals there was am emergence of a rival club. Lowtherville CC was founded by disaffected locals who felt the working man was being snubbed as an inferior player.

The resilience of Ventnor CC was truly tested during the Great War, when play at Steephill came to a standstill. Seventeen players answered the call to serve in the Armed Forces, highlighting the club’s commitment to duty beyond the cricket field.

Through triumphs and trials alike, Ventnor Cricket Club has stood as a beacon of sporting prowess, weaving itself into the fabric of Ventnor’s history and community.

THE EARLY YEARS

VCC was originally founded as the Undercliffe CC in 1847 and played its early matches in a variety of locations in the Ventnor area. In 1885 it moved to its present ground at Steephill, then part of the Steephill Castle estate, where it has remained ever since as Ventnor CC. Matches at this time comprised 2 innings per side and combined totals were usually under 100 runs. The outfield was cropped by sheep.

The Club won its first trophy in 1889 by defeating Newport CC to become First Division champions. The first pavilion was opened in 1892 by the then president, landlord and owner of the castle, Mr H Sewell. A rival club was founded in Ventnor, The Lowtherville CC, by disaffected locals in 1904 who felt the working man was being snubbed as an inferior player. All play was suspended at Steephill during the Great War in which 17 players served in the Armed Forces.

EARLY SUCCESSES

Lady members were enrolled as players in 1924 for the first time with fixtures against local private schools and men playing with an enforced handicap. An overseas player from Ceylon topped the batting averages in the same season- both facts seem very advanced for their time.

Jack Hobbs accepted an invitation to play for Ventnor in June 1931 when staying on the Island. In a match against Shanklin CC he scored 65 runs before a crowd of 1600 spectators. Matches continued to be played throughout the Second World War, largely to accommodate the large number of troops then stationed on the Island.

A new pavilion was opened in April 1973 with a licenced bar. The club enjoyed increasing success during the 1980s winning at various times the, Island Senior League, 6-aside and Whitbread Cup. VCC entered the Hampshire League in 1992 and made rapid progress to the Premier Division.

A NEW ERA

The current pavilion and Cricket Academy was opened in July 2003 by Lord MacLaurin. It was later named after Ventnor C.C and Isle of Wight Cricket legend John Hilsum MBE.

Naming of the John Hilsum Pavilion

The Club has continued to prosper and send a raft of players onto County and National honours including Mark Garaway (Hampshire), Steven Snell (Gloucestershire and Somerset), Danny Briggs (Hampshire, Sussex and England), Chris Russell (Worcestershire), Adam Hose (Somerset and Warwickshire) not to mention Travis Head (Australia) who spent a year as the club’s overseas player in 2013.