Blackwood Town Cricket Club
Blackwood Town Cricket Club is a local Welsh cricket club that plays in the Glamorgan and Monmouthsire Cricket League Division 1. The club formed in the early 1950s and originally played on the Showfield in Blackwood, moving to its current location, Highfields, at the top of Gordon Road in 1955. The ground cost £200 to buy and the club members did the vast majority of work on it themselves, ferrying soil from Markham Common and having the local authority dump rubbish on the ground in order to make the ground flat as there was a slope from the sit of the current pavilion to the far side that needed to be filled in. The first match at the new ground was against Glamorgan Colts.
The club runs 2 senior Saturday sides, the 1st[1] and 2nd[2] XIs both play in the above League's top division - the 2nd XI staying up despite finishing bottom in Division 1 due to a club in Division 2 not fulfilling the promotion criteria. From 2011, the club will also be returning to midweek action in the Caerphilly and District Midweek League giving regular cricket each Tuesday.
The club was previously in the South Wales Premier League in 2009 but due to that League's reorganisation the club is now in the top division of the feeder league
The club fields youth teams in the Under 11, Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 age groups and both teams have been very successful, the under 15s were the all Wales Champions in 2005 and the Under 17s won the Monmouthshire Cricket Association's U17 League in 2011 by beating Chepstow in the final at Highfields.
In 2014 the club won the macey cup, which is a twenty over competition for Gwent clubs. They beat Panteg in the final which was played at Newbridge CC.
The current first XI Captain is Richard Matthews and second XI Captain is Jamie Johnston, third XI captain is Huw Darling and the 4th XI is led by Huw's Dad, Erik Darling
Former Labour Party Leader Neil Kinnock is a former Honorary President of the Club
Other Information
Secretary and former second XI captain Andrew Shelton is well known locally for his infamous cow impression and his hatred of former Welsh Outside Half Stephen Jones. Aside from his successful stewardship of the "Two's" the high point of his illustrious Blackwood Town Cricket Club career came when his wife sold his house whilst he was on cricket tour in Torquay.
Their star player is the Chinese hero Gareth Berry. Gareth is an overseas player, who originally comes from China. He is the first Chinese cricketer to make the big step in to top-flight Welsh cricket. He specialises in batting, wicket-keeping, love-making and cooking fine Chinese cuisine for his team-mates after the games. He is well known as the elder brother of streaker David Berry. He is not related to Dai Flag as is commonly acknowledged.
Two products of the Blackwood Youth System have played 1st XI Cricket for Glamorgan Ryan Watkins (cricketer) and Kyle Tudge
Other notable Club Members are Derek Daniels, founder of the 'Big D' peanut range, Jack the Ripper lookalike Eric Reardon and Club President William Coppage who achieved worldwide fame with his smash hit 'The Gambler'. Another notable 'player' is the inimitable Simon Davies. He currently holds the World Record for the longest distance ever travelled before scoring a duck. Brisbane to Blackwood on a bus, train, two planes and car, a total distance of 10,500 miles. For a duck. Brilliant.
On the other hand, Neil Reardon, Club legend, holds a rather more impressive record. He was recently forcibly removed from a Wetherspoons pub for slurring. Thrown from the pub of choice of tramps. For slurring. An achievement of which we'd all be proud.