Cricket in Poynton dates all the way back to 1872 when the local lord-of-the-manor, Lord Vernon, donated land near his Towers Road home for the residents of Poynton to establish Poynton Vernon Cricket Club. In the early days, the then 1 team club was mainly made up of colliery workers from the local pits. An annual fixture against a team representing Lord Vernon’s other estate in Sudbury, Derbyshire was established in 1873 with the Poynton-Sudbury annual challenge match surviving to the early 21st century. After a rise in popularity and cricket being the only sport at the club, a 2nd XI was formed in 1880 to cater for the expanding number of recruits in the local area.
The original cricket pavilion, which forms the basis of the modern day clubhouse, was erected in 1889 after a successful appeal for funds in the local church magazine. The cricket pitch has entertained its fair share of famous sportsmen of the years including Lancashire and England all-rounder Johnny Briggs, former England rugby union captain Steve Smith and even a young Mike Atherton who sat and watched his father play for Woodhouses CC in the clubs Lancashire and Cheshire League days.
Over the winter of 2018-19, Poynton CC voted to combine forces with our neighbours down the road Disley CC to form North East Cheshire Cricket Club, with Poynton Junior CC remaining as a subsidiary of the new club. You can read more about the details here.
NECCC and PJCC can offer cricket to boys and girls at all levels and ages, from age 8 to seniors. North East Cheshire currently operate 4 open age teams, 3 on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday, with a men’s Over 40s team and a Women’s Softball team. The 1st XI currently play in the highly competitive Division One of the Cheshire Cricket League with the other 3 sides playing at various levels ensuring the right level of cricket is available for all members.
A summary of Poynton CC’s all time statistics can also be found here.