Hoppers Crossing cricket club

The Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club is a cricket club located in Victoria, Australia.

History

The club was formed in 1977 as the Hoppers Crossing Footballers Cricket Club after it received its initial financial backing from the Hoppers Crossing Football Club (HCFC). Shortly into its first season, sufficient funds were raised to recompense the Football Club and it was renamed the Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club (HCCC).

The first team was entered into the "B-turf" section of the Sunshine Cricket Association in season 1977/78. The club were runners-up in the first season. After this, the club grew quickly to a level where four open age teams were taking the field. Junior cricket was introduced and teams were entered into a local Under-14 competition in the Wyndham area. Following the initial set up, HCCC took over the running of this competition, which comprised six teams. The club benefited greatly from this structure, as evidenced by the three Under-14 premierships in a row, on entry into the SCA’s Under-14 competition. At the commencement of the 1983/84 season, it transferred into the Williamstown and District Cricket Association (WDCA). This was in conjunction with the club’s move from its prior residence, in Heaths Road, to its current Hogans Road address. Shortly after this move, a turf wicket was installed on the number one oval with the assistance of the then Werribee Council. The 1986/87 season saw the appointment of the club’s first ever coach, Greg Evans. In his first year at the helm, Greg took the club to the runners-up position. At the commencement of the 1989/90 season, the club took its next evolutionary step by entering its first and second elevens into the Victorian Junior Cricket Association (now the Victorian Turf Cricket Association (VTCA)). During this season under the coaching of Mark Mitchell, it won its first ever First Eleven premiership, in the North Central Division. Since that time, it gained promotion into North A through to its current grade, Senior A.

Achievements

Since the commencement of the club, it has produced seven First Eleven District Players with four at Footscray (Mark Mitchell, Jamie Rubeli, Grant Burns, Paul Murray), two at North Melbourne (Trent Said, Ian Timms) and one at University (Greg Kennedy). Two of these players have represented Victoria at state level (Mark Mitchell in the Under 19’s and Paul Murray in the Under 21’s). Englishman Stuart Broad played for the team in the winter of 2004-05, and went on to play first-class cricket for Leicestershire, the England U-19 team in 2005 and England A in 2006. Englishman Matthew Boyce, who also represented Leicestershire recently against Pakistan played for the club in its 2003-04 season.

The club has had numerous junior cricketers represented in the various representative sides available within Victoria.

Currently the club fields 7 senior turf sides and 14 junior teams and has won 51 premierships across both junior and senior teams in 28 years of cricket. The club is the largest turf cricket club in Victoria and one of the largest junior clubs in the State.

External links

* [http://hoppers.cricketvictoria.com.au Official site]