Ellerslie Cricket Club

Ellerslie Cricket Club (inc.) was formed in 1922 at a location known as Michaels Avenue Reserve, Auckland. The Club has had some well-known players come to play for them in the past. Some include Ole Mortensen and English Internationals, Devon Malcolm and Wilf Slack. The home-grown legends include Bill "Chook" Fowler, Martin Pringle and current 1st class Umpire Barry Frost.

Ellerslie Cricket Club has 9 Senior Men's sides and 1 Ladies side and a roster of over 150 junior players. The club's mascot is the great racehorse Bonecrusher (known as the Pride of Ellerslie). The club colours are Black and Gold. The playing season is from October to March. The clubrooms are located above the YMCA on Michaels Avenue and are shared with Ellerslie Soccer Club.

Until the 2005/2006 season Ellerslie's first team played in the First Grade of the Auckland Cricket Club Competition. As a part of restructuring of the Auckland Club Cricket, Ellerslie first grade team merged with Auckland University Cricket Club's first grade and collectively had two teams playing in Premier and Premier Reserve Grade respectively. This merge of Ellerslie first grade with Auckland University's first grade was for a 4-year lock in period.

Ellerslie now has stand alone sides in both the Premier and Premier Reserve grades.

Over the years Ellerslie has always suffered from a moving population which made it hard to gain junior cricketers and keep them through to senior level.

Going by photo's taken of teams in the 1920s the club had real strength and again in the 1950s. In the 70's a new influx of youth joined the club as it was critical by ACA rules that all clubs must foster junior cricket.

It is usually left up to a few keen parents to ensure the kids are looked after and coached properly and the club has been lucky to have them. People like Roy Schnauer, John Molesworth, Dave Cosgrove, Harold Butler, Wayne Young and many more were assisted by regular club members over the years.

During the 90's Kevin Williams took over the mantel and has run the Junior section without fault. He has raised the junior membership to figures never realised in the past and has gained sponsorship for all teams. As a result of all his hard work the club is now seeing the youth moving into the grades and staying with the club.

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