Chatham Cricket Club

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Chatham Cricket Club was founded in 1705 in Chatham, Kent, England. The first known match was in August 1705 against West of Kent.

In the 1750s and 1770s the club played several matches at George Louch’s field in Chatham. In June 1772 they lost to Meopham by 20 runs, and in September 1772 they played two matches against Dartford—winning the first at Dartford by 19 runs and losing the second at Chatham by 19 runs. Three matches against Bourne in 1773 included one abandoned game and two closely fought wins for Bourne and for Chatham.

Throughout the early 1770s, Louch’s field was the club’s venue, with later references to Chatham Lines in 1785 and 1787. In August 1787 a local match was played at The Star on Chatham Hill, a venue that appears in reports up to 1791, especially for single-wicket contests. After 1773 there are few mentions of Chatham, with the last 18th‑century note being a minor match in June 1800.

CricketArchive records two “odds” matches for Chatham: against the All England Eleven in September 1861 and against Kent in August 1862, both on Chatham Lines, with Chatham fielding 22 players to 11. The club also hosted the touring South Africans in June 1894 in an 11‑a‑side match, which the South Africans won by five runs.

Eventually the Chatham club folded; the exact date isn’t known, and there is no modern Chatham club in Kent league cricket.