Senior Cricket.
The first recordings of Cricket being played by the gentlefolk of Harlow were in 1772 when a team from Harlow played the gentry of Woodford at Woodford Green, North London. This is one of the very earliest recorded games of organised cricket in the world & the rivalry between the two Clubs of Harlow & Woodford Green still continues today when the two clubs play either in the Essex League competitions or on a friendly basis—on the very same ground.
Cricket on a more regular basis is recorded in Harlow from 1774 and from that time onwards the fortunes of Harlow Cricket club have ebbed & flowed. The club began to play in it’s current location, ‘Marigolds’ in the 1800’s on picturesque land set aside by wealthy land owners.
Following the World War I, this land was set aside ‘in trust’ as a permanent memorial to the young men who had once played cricket there, but had subsequently fallen in that terrible conflict.
The club & ground continued to develop & featured one of the first mechanical scoreboards in the country, however, following the second world war & going into the late 70’s the club languished, preferring to play friendly cricket rather than join the newly formed leagues which were emerging.
The club joined the Essex Leagues in 1989 & after struggling initially, began climbing the leagues. 2000 saw the club’s first fixtures on it’s newly acquired III & IV XI ground, set adjacent to ‘Marigolds’. 2006 sees all of the clubs XI’s expected to be pushing hard for promotion.