by Sally Hendry (cricket virgin)!!

Whether you are a cricket fan or not, just about everyone has heard of the famous W G Grace. But did you know that this celebrated cricketer actually played at Westbury?

In fact, he wasn’t the only famous cricketer to have turned out on the Westbury crease. Others include Lionel Palairet, described as one of the most stylish batsmen the game has ever produced and who played for Somerset and England. Then there was the Indian prince Ranjitsinhji – known as Ranji – who was described as treating the bat as a wizard’s wand. Ranji played 15 Test matches for England – the first Indian to do do.

Another famous player who figured in one of the matches was Gilbert Jessop, who still holds the record for the fastest Test century by an Englishman (in 76 balls).

W G Grace with Mr and Mrs W H Laverton

And of course, Westbury was famously the venue in May 1890 for a three day match between the Australians and a team selected by W H Laverton and captained by W G Grace.

Then the matches were played at the pitch at Grassacres and a large grandstand was erected for the huge number of spectators attending the iconic match. It was described in the local newspaper as a game of almost national importance. It went on:

The ground was in spick and span order, there was a good wicket, fine weather and a splendid attendance.

The event ended with a slap up dinner at the Laverton Institute, hosted by Mr. Laverton himself with food supplied by Fortts of Bath.

The museum’s interest in cricket has been rekindled recently with a fascinating gift – an original Leighton score book dating from 1891, kindly given to us by Westbury & District Cricket Club who had received it from a member of the Laverton family.

It is magical to see the faded entries listing cricketers then known as the “knights of the willow! Famous names like W G Grace are in the scorebook with their batting scores, analysis of bowling and even occasionally a mention of the weather – when rain stopped play!

At a match in 1891, Dr Grace was actually caught out by William Laverton himself – what a coup! Millowner and philanthropist, Mr Laverton, who owned the Leighton Estate was important in the development of cricket in Westbury and from 1993, matches were being played on his own ground at Leighton – now our sports ground.

The pavilion he built on the site was the latest design featuring a glass veranda supported by metal balustrades, a dining room, changing rooms for the teams and a private changing room for Mr. Laverton himself. Women spectators weren’t forgotten – on the north side of the pavilion was a pretty Swiss cottage style chalet just for them. The pitch also had a large grandstand that had been moved from the former Grassacres site.

The game was a family passion for the Lavertons – at a match in 1910, there were no less than five Laverton members on the home team! And Lionel Palairet, who played for England and Somerset, even became part of the family when he married Mr Laverton’s daughter Caroline at Westbury church in July 1894.

One regular player on the Laverton XI was Ernest Shorland, the local Westbury doctor.

The period from the 1890s to the outbreak of the First World War is often referred to as the Golden Age of cricket and several large estates had private cricket grounds like that at Leighton. These included Shaw Hill and East Lavington Manor.