About Us

Founded in 1877, Bramshaw Cricket Club is situated in the heart of the New Forest. For the 2016 season, Bramshaw and Nomansland have joined forces creating a new 3rd team that will play at the Nomansland ground. With the clubs joining we are hoping to keep the tradition of cricket being played in Nomansland whilst making Bramshaw a stronger club and most importantly encouraging children & adults in the Bramshaw, Landford & Nomansland area to play cricket.

The Club has three Saturday League Teams, two midweek league teams, and another team which plays friendlies on Sundays whilst also entertaining the occasional midweek touring team. The First XI play in the Hampshire Cricket League – County Division 2, the Second XI play in the Hampshire Cricket League – Regional Division 2 West and the 3rd team play in the Hampshire Cricket League – Regional Div 3 West Division.

The Club has been successful in recent seasons with the first XI achieving promotion in 1997, 1998, and 1999, and winning the league in 2002 & 2015. The Second XI gained promotion in 1999, just missed out in 2001, won the league in 2002 and again gained promotion in 2004. Other successes include the Midweek team gaining promotion to the Premier Division in 1999 as champions of Division 1, winning the Midweek Cup in 1997 and again reaching the 1999 cup final which was unable to be played due to typical British weather. However the 2000 and 2001 seasons have been a struggle, due to a lack of players and as a result were relegated to Division 2 in 2001, but were again promoted to Division 1 in 2002.

There have been many off-the-pitch successes including mains electricity in the clubhouse, the introduction of showers in both home and away changing rooms, refurbishment of the bar & kitchen area, sight screens and a boundary rope along with the constant improvement of the square. As a result, Bramshaw were awarded ‘Most Improved Ground of the Year in 2001.

From the early days, the Cricket Club had been playing at Lyburn Park, by invitation of the owner, Mr R C Leigh, who had also supplied the teas. However, in 1925 they asked permission from the Forestry Commission to have a pitch on the Green. They received permission in time for the 1926 season for a payment of five shillings a year and any fence was “only to be temporary”. This pitch was probably unique in that it included parts of two roads, the boundary being the garden fences (i.e. the County Boundary). An extra duty of the umpire here was to check that no vehicles were coming before giving a nod to the bowler to bowl. Besides the traffic problem, a ‘six’ could break tiles on cottage roofs, Boundary Cottage was particularly vulnerable. (The then owner is reputed to have said “I don’t mind the tiles so much, it’s the fact they laugh”).

In later years the increase of road traffic delayed the bowler more and more often. So in 1973, the pitch was moved so that the nearest road now became the boundary and play could be continuous. However, cars still need to be aware of batsmen hitting a six. The Club were also permitted to build a small pavilion, which is situated between the trees, and indeed the new pitch still has 4 large trees (oaks and beeches) and the War Memorial inside the boundary. These differences are offset, at least for the spectators, by the magnificent view across the wooded Hampshire countryside to Dean Hill on the edge of the Hampshire Basin.