History

 

The Ashcott & Shapwick Cricket Club is thought to have been established in 1921 or 1922 - no-one is sure of the exact date.  Home matches were played on Bath Road in the village of Ashcott until 1948 when the Club moved to its present home in Shapwick. The village of Shapwick is in the heart of Somerset where the Somerset Levels meet the gentle Polden Hills and the ground enjoys delightful views across the Levels to the distant Mendip Hills.

 

Friendly cricket matches were played on Saturdays and Sundays until 1975 when the Saturday team joined the Somerset League. A Saturday 2nd XI was formed soon after, entering the Somerset League in 1982 while the Sunday team continued to play friendlies until 1996 when the Club joined the Mid Wessex League. The Sunday XI withdrew from the Mid Wessex League after the 2007 season. The Junior section was formed in 1991 when an Under 11 team first entered the Taunton & District Youth League.

 

 

 

 

 

The Club in 2009

 

 

The Club is affiliated to the Somerset Cricket Board and to the governing body for cricket, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). We are currently working towards ECB’s Clubmark accreditation and expect to achieve this before the 2010 season. Clubmark status is awarded to clubs that prioritise junior development as a means of creating high quality community club cricket scheme and the requirements include the implementation of the ECB Child Protection guidelines and the need to demonstrate Equity of Opportunity for all members

 

Two senior teams play League cricket on Saturdays while the Sunday XI has reverted to a programme of friendly matches. The 1st XI has recently enjoyed a period of unprecedented success having gained promotion in 4 out of the past 5 seasons and having won the Somerset Minor Clubs K.O.Cup in 2006. In 2008 they were champions of the West of England Premier League (WEPL) Somerset Premier Division and, as a result, will play in the regional Bristol & Somerset Division in 2009. The 2nd XI also achieved two promotions within the Somerset League 2nd XI competition in the same period and will play in the WEPL Bristol & Somerset 2nd XI division in 2009.

 

This summer the Club will also participate in the npower National Village K.O. Cup, the Cockspur Twenty20 Cup and the Somerset Major Clubs KO Cup.

 

The Club has well maintained playing and practice facilities including two artificial practice nets and a BOLA bowling machine and a clubhouse equipped with showers and a bar and the thriving Junior Section has about 70 members aged between 8 and 15 and fields teams at Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 levels in the Lloyd and White Insurance Taunton Youth League.

 

This season we are indebted to grants provided by the Somerset Youth Opportunity Fund, the Somerset Community Fund, the O2 Community Fund, the Polden Post and Shapwick Parish Council that, amongst other things, have enabled us to upgrade the facilities in the clubhouse, train more members as coaches and to provide new and replacement playing and coaching equipment for juniors

 

Match fees are £5 for Adult matches; £2 for Junior matches

 

Directions

 

The ground is in Northbrook Road in the middle of Shapwick . The village lies about ½ mile off the A39 Bridgwater-Street road and about 6 miles from J23 of the M5. There are two approaches to Shapwick signposted on the A39. The more westerly (Bridgwater side) is in a wooded area while the one nearest Street in just outside the village of Ashcott close to the Albion Inn. Northbrook Road starts at a cross-roads in the centre of the village which is easily identified by the church opposite. The ground is a mere 100 yards along on the left hand side