The Cricket Society


The Cricket Society is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1945 as the Society of Cricket Statisticians at Great Scotland Yard, London. It has grown steadily to be the largest body of its kind in the cricket world. The Cricket Society now has over 1,500 members in the United Kingdom and the cricket playing countries of the world. Its current President is John Barclay. The Society celebrates the best of cricket, past, present and future through events, awards, publications and playing via The Cricket Society XI and supporting state schools cricket through the Cricket Society Trust.
The Cricket Society celebrated its 80th birthday on 17th November 2025 with an all-star dinner in London. Several tributes were made to The Society and its long history, notably by among others David Kynaston and President, John Barclay.

Awards and Honours

Awards are presented, mainly at the Society's Autumn Lunch, among them:-
  • Most Promising Young Male Cricketer - winner in 2025 James Coles
  • Most Promising Young Female Cricketer - winner in 2025 Davina Perrin
  • The Ian Jackson Award for Services to Cricket - winner in 2025 The ACE Cricket Programme https://aceprogramme.com/
  • The Sir Jack Hobbs Silver Jubilee Memorial Prize - winner in 2025 Oliver Sutton
  • The Charlotte Edwards Award - winner in 2025 Venus Weerappuli
  • The Don Rowan Trophy - winner in 2025 Spa School, Bermondsey
  • The Perry Lewis/Kershaw Memorial Trophy - winner in 2024 David Farrington and winner in 2025 Will Halliday

Books and Scholarship Awards

The Cricket Society established its Book of the Year Award in 1970 and, in partnership with MCC since 2009, now hosts an annual Awards Evening each spring in the Long Room at Lord's
In 2020 the Society instituted the Howard Milton Award for Cricket Scholarship in partnership with the British Society of Sports History, which is given to an individual or institution that has contributed a significant body of work to the history of the game. Recent winners include Ramachandra Guha, Clem Seecharan, The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians and Neil Robinson, Head of Heritage & Collections at MCC.

Meetings and Events

Throughout the year, The Society holds regular meetings for members and guests, featuring famous names from cricket at venues in Central London, most notably as the Union Jack Club and the Civil Service Club.
The Society also holds regular meetings for the members in Bath and Birmingham at which invited speakers address the audience. The Southwest and Midlands branches are chaired by Stephen Chalke and Mike Williams respectively. Both are supported by Committees of dedicated cricket followers who organise impressive schedules supported by substantial audiences.
In addition The Cricket Society runs on-line monthly interviews with cricketing luminaries throughout the UK winter. This allows those who cannot attend meetings in London, Bath and Birmingham to enjoy hearing from important figures in the game.
During the UK summer The Cricket Society continues to organise events including the popular 'Days at the Cricket' - in 2025 these took place at Leicester, Taunton and Beckenham.

Playing Cricket

The Society has a cricket team which plays around 30 games each season in South London, South West London, Surrey and Sussex primarily on Sundays and mid-week.

Charitable Work

Through its charitable arm, The Cricket Society Trust, the Society raises money to give state school educated children greater opportunity to play cricket. The Cricket Society Trust supports a state schools tournament at Kimbolton School each year in conjunction with the R66T Academy and the MCC Foundation.

Publications

The Cricket Society publishes a Journal and a regular news Bulletin for its subscribed membership. The Journal features cricket writing spanning the full history of the game, while The Bulletin focuses on the modern game and also reports on the many Society events and activities.

The Cricket Society/MCC Book of the Year

The Cricket Society began naming a book of the year in 1970. Since 2009 the award has been made in partnership with MCC. It carries a prize of £3000, which is presented at an awards evening each spring in the Long Room at Lord's.

Current officers

Executive Committee

  • Chair: Peter Hardy
  • Vice Chair: Raf Nicholson
  • Secretary: Geoffrey Levett
  • Treasurer: Phil Reeves
  • Membership Secretary: Matthew Stevenson
  • Derek Barnard
  • Annie Chave
  • Nigel Hancock
  • Barry Kitcherside
  • Nick Tudball
  • David Stanworth
  • Phillip Bennett-Richards

Presidents since 1945

1• 1945-1946 F. A. Mackinnon, The Mackinnon of Mackinnon
2• 1947-1959 Hubert Preston

3• 1960-1961 H. S. Altham

4• 1961-1962 Lord Birkett

5• 1963-1968 A. A. Thomson

6• 1969-1973 Lt-Gen Sir Oliver Leese

7• 1974-1975 A. M. Crawley

8• 1976-1983 E. W. Swanton

9• 1983-1998 G. H. G. Doggart

10• 1998-2008 C. D. A. Martin-Jenkins

11• 2008-onwards J. R. T. Barclay

Chairs since 1945

1• 1945-1946 A. Weigall
2• 1946-1947 Capt. J. A. Bayliss

3• 1947-1953 G. A. Copinger

4• 1953-1960 A. R. Whitaker

5• 1960-1965 Dr R. W. Cockshut

6• 1965-1966 L. E. S. Gutteridge

7• 1966-1983 C. C. W. Box-Grainger

8• 1983-1992 R. N. Haygarth

9• 1992-2003 D. Allsop
10• 2003-2008 W. R. Allen

11• 2008 I. R. Jackson

12• 2008-2012 D. E. Barnard

13• 2012-2021 N. Hancock
14. 2023 - to date P. M. Hardy