On March 9th, 1993, Abingdon Vale Cricket Club was formed by the merger of Abingdon Town C.C and North Abingdon C.C. The merger was intended to confirm a future for cricket players at all ages in Abingdon for years to come. The merging of cricket clubs in the area was, and has since proved to be, nothing new as other clubs throughout local leagues have combined in order to make the most of dwindling players and to reduce the effects of rising costs.
The merger created a cricket club with two cricket grounds, a playing membership of around 50 seniors and a youth policy committed to cricket across the under 11 to under 17 age groups.
On 17th May 1861 at a meeting held on board "The Neptune", it was proposed that a cricket club be established in Abingdon. Subscriptions were to be a half-guinea and matches would be played at Waste Court (now part of Abingdon School). The club's original headquarters were based at the Queens Hotel and in an attempt to establish a permanent home ground, negotiations were opened to lease Badcock's Field (between the bridge and Blake's Field). These negotiations were unsuccessful but in 1863 a professional bowler was engaged at seven shillings and sixpence per week!
From 1866 to 1914 the club played matches in and around the Abingdon-Oxford area but had virtually disappeared for the period between the two world wars and it was a meeting at the Saxton Arms in 1947 that saw the rejuvenation of the cricket team under the name of Abingdon Wanderers. The club took over the fixtures of the MG cricket team and used the ground at Culham College as its home base.
In 1953, a 99 year lease of Hales Meadow was negotiated with Abingdon Borough Council and for approximately six years, the newly formed Abingdon Sports Club prepared the ground for cricket, rugby and hockey. The first full cricket season at Hales Meadow was in 1959. The cricket club's Centenary was celebrated in 1961 with a match between Abingdon and the MCC and in the same year Oxford University began a 20-year association with Abingdon C.C. bringing their side with such players as the Nawab of Pataudi and Imran Khan.
In 1967 the cricket section took over debts incurred by the sports club and became the sole lease holders of the ground. Although the Abingdon Rugby Club continued to play at Hayes Meadow, it was by way of a sub-let from the cricket club. Connections with Warwickshire CCC established in 1968 continued until 1982 and nine "benefit" matches were staged at Hales Meadow. Beneficiaries included Bob Willis, Dennis Amiss and Alvin Kallicharan. A memorial match for Gerald Smithson (Yorkshire, England and later Abingdon) brought Len Hutton and Denis Compton to play at the club. League Cricket was introduced to Abingdon in 1974 as Abingdon CC became founder members of the Cherwell League.
Elsewhere in the town, other cricketers stirred. North Abingdon was originally formed as "The Ox C.C." in 1949. Like many other cricket teams in Abingdon at that time, it had no permanent facilities and relied on the pub as a meeting place and for player recruitment. As time went by, the club rented and then bought the land at Northcourt which is still used for cricket. Although early records are scarce, 1950's season was a good one recording 21 wins out of 28 matches. In a 1955 Fixture Card, matches against familiar sides such as Morris Motors, Oxford Nondescripts, Sunningwell and East Hendred were recorded.
In 1961, the cricket club was renamed North Abingdon C.C. The change of name was not without its difficulties (much like the recent merger) and some players moved on. However the newly named club soon confirmed its growing status by purchasing the Northcourt ground and continued to improve the standard of fixtures played. This policy was paying dividends when in 1976, North moved into fielding two Sunday sides. Some traditions started with The Ox were kept up, most noticeably the "Dutch Tour". Officially starting in 1960, a cricket tour exchange between the Ajax Sports Club of Leiden and The Ox/NACC/AVCC continues to this day.
In 1976, fixtures between North and "the Town" resumed after a gap of ~15 years; it may be said that the first seeds of our merger were sown at this time, although both clubs at that time were thriving. League Cricket was the future for both clubs and North became founder members of the Trinity League formed in 1978.
Reproduced from a booklet produced by Alec Inns.