Founded in 1919, Whiteley Village Cricket Club provided a sporting amenity for resident Whiteley Village employees. It has been a cornerstone in the community ever since.

The village is owned and administered by The Whiteley Homes Trust, a registered charity, and consists of more than 300 buildings. Together, these form an important collection of ‘Arts and Crafts’ style architecture.

History of Whiteley Village

Upon the death of William Whiteley, owner of the famous Bayswater department store, in 1907 a bequest of £1 million went to the village. William Whiteley was 76 at the time of his death and was shot by a man who claimed to be his illegitimate son. The son came demanding money that he believed he was owed and, when Whiteley refused, he shot him. After killing Whiteley, the ‘son’ turned the gun on himself and tried to take his own life.

The man, Horace George Rayner, survived his attempt on taking his own life and stood trial for murder later that year. Having been found guilty, Rayner initially was sentenced to the death penalty. However, this charge was later reduced to a life sentence. In the end, Rayner served only 12 years for his crime.

In Whiteley’s will, he had left that £1 million (approximately £120 million in 2020) to provide homes for the elderly of limited means. Whiteley Village continued to be built between 1911 and 1917 on the 225-acre Burhill Estate between Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames and Cobham,

Whiteley Village Cricket Club

A dedicated portion of land was set aside on the North end of the estate to provide two full-sized pitches for the Cricket Club. A thatched pavilion, which is believed to be a listed building, was constructed at the corner of North Avenue and Coombe Lane. The club bar and changing rooms have been relocated to adjacent buildings on Coombe Lane.

During World War Two, the grounds were used to grow vegetables to help the war effort. This is the only time in Whiteley Village CC’s history that cricket was not played there in the summer. After World War Two, the requirement for playing members to comprise wholly or mainly of Whiteley Village employees was lessened.

At this time, the club became independent of the village and properly constituted as a sports club. We played an attractive list of friendly matches against both local clubs and wandering sides from inner London.

In the mid-1960s, the club joined what became the Morrant Wey Valley League. By the 1970s, the club was a regular participant in the later stages of the Haig Cup (National Village Cup). We reached the quarter-finals in 1974, where the team played before a crowd of over 500 spectators, the last 16 in 1978 and the Surrey Group Final in 1975.

Today, we work hard to provide an inclusive and fun club for anybody who wants to play cricket. We are currently expanding our junior section and are always on the look out for new players and members. If you would like to be a part of our storied journey, simply get in touch today.