HISTORY OF THE RICHMOND CRICKET CLUB
A group of Melbourne gentlemen gathered at the Richmond home of Mr W.S.Woolcott in January 1854 with the idea of forming a Cricket Club that would carry the name of the soon to be established Borough Of Richmond.
The newly formed committee appointed Mr Woolcott to the position of club President and so he became the first of only 21 men who have held this coveted position between1854 and 2003. It was resolved the committee should work towards forming a team and seek a suitable local site to play cricket on.

At the clubs first official meeting held in the Punt Road Hotel (now the Royal Hotel) on October 1855 an application was made to His Excellency the Governor of Victoria seeking permission for the new club to play matches on the Richmond paddock directly opposite the hotel and next to the site occupied by the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club, who came there in 1853.

On the 18th of November 1855 permission was granted and the Richmond Cricket
Club took possession of the sought after she and although the boundaries have altered several times since; the famous Punt Road ground is still our home.
It must be assumed that some games were played before, but the first documented cricket match that Richmond took part in was against the Melbourne club on December 27th 1856, Richmond winning by 40 runs.

Intercolonial cricket also commenced in 1856 and in the period up to 1892 Richmond sent 37 men to represent the Colony including two players in George Marshall and the well known sportsman Tom Wills who in 1859 was the person most responsible for forming the framework and rules of Australian Football as captains.

In 1859 competitive cricket in Melbourne arrived in earnest, a competition with the winner taking "The Coppin Challenge Cup "named after the theatrical entrepreneur and a founder member of the R.C, C, the Honorable George Coppin, was first played for. This Trophy is believed to be the oldest cricket cup in the history of Australian Cricket and it can be viewed in the Museum at the Punt Road ground.

When England and Australia first played Cricket on equal terms inl 877 the period has been described by historians as the Dawn of TEST Match Cricket, R.C.C.had two players in the initial Australian eleven ,they were the bowlers Tom Kendall and Jim Hodges. In 1882 Australia selected the Richmond player Sam Morris to play his one and only Test match .Morris was born in Hobart of West Indian parents. He became the first black man to represent Australians score of 280 against St.Kilda at Punt Road in the 1881-82 season is the highest on that ground and the best by any Richmond player ever. Other prominent Richmond players to play with distinction for the Colony in that period include Gid Elliott, Sam Cosstick, and Dick Wardill.

As well as providing the Colony and Australia with fine players, the R.C.C. won
Premierships in 1859-60, 1860-61,1876-77 and 1894-95,but after the V.C.A.
competition started Richmond had to wait until 1946-47 to annex their first in the new competition.

Only one premiership from the turn of the century up to 1954, when the R.C.C. itself turned one hundred was unimpressive but at the same time it produced Test cricketers in Dave.Smith, Leo.O,Brien, Ernie,McCormick, Doug,Ring and Bill Johnston along with some of the finest administrators in Australian Cricket, they include, George. Bennett, Ern King, Dave Chessell, Perc Maybury Merv Rankin, Jim Macdermott, Jim Cook,and many other club stalwarts who kept the Yellow and Black colours flying high, Richmond champions of that period Les Keating,and Jack Ledward headed a fine group of players who played for the state ,the dashing Wally Driver and Bill Cockbum, former New South Wales player Arthur Allsopp, Stan Smith, Clive Sindrey and George Newstead just to name a few.
The 1946-47 success could be attributable to other fine Richmond cricketers in Nelson Cox, Harry Mathers, Laurie Cui-wood, Doug Williams and Len Dockett but Newstead and that wonderful player and long serving club delegate Charlie Stuckey missed the glory because of retirement the previous season after long and fantastic service to the club.

In the 32 years to 1976-77 it took Richmond to win another First eleven
premiership, the club were not completely devoid of success winning five V.C.A ^Championships ,two Second and two Third eleven Premierships , Two exciting cricketers in Jim Higgs and Graham Yallop from the Tigers worked their way from the Richmond First eleven to Victoria and then the Australian Team to
proudly represent their country. Eight more state players were produced in those years and two who were not selected but should have if you look at the wonderful and consistent efforts of Graeme Paterson ,1817 runs and 550 wickets and Jeff Russ 2287 runs to go with his 434 wickets. The R.C.C .wicketkeeper and games record holder David Cowper ,along with fine batsmen Peter Williams and Russell Sincock were others to have a taste of First Class Cricket and with better fortune could have played more.

The backbone of the club in the early 80s were a group of wonderful cricketers
and fantastic clubmen like the Victorian fast bowler John Leehane, class batsmen Ian Simpson, Andrew Quarterman, Rod Bymes ,Warren Whiteside, pace bowlers Peter McKay and Andrew Burridge.
Hard working administrators led by secretary Russell Collins saw a wonderful group of young cricketers arrive at Punt Road in that period to compliment the experienced Geoff Richardson ,Brian Rogers Jim Higgs .Michael and Paul Quinn and Graham Yallop who after completing an outstanding century in our 1982-83 grand final win took up a coaching position with another club.
In 1987 Richmond appointed the former Victorian and Australian player Ray Bright captain and coach and his contribution to the club will remain as one of the more significant aspects of Richmond's long history.
During this period the club won another first eleven premiership inl 989-90,a Club Championship in 1987-88 and the second eleven won premierships in 1987-88 ,1988-89 and 1990-91 the thirds were also successful in 1988-89.

Players nurtured and encouraged by Ray Bright who proceeded to higher honours were Paul Reiffel -Victoria and Australia,(Richmond's eleventh Test Cricketer) Paul Jackson- Victoria, and Queensland, Geoff Parker- Victoria and South Australia, David Harris- Victoria, and later Michael Foster- Victoria., and two players who moved to higher honours in Gerard Clarke and David Saker albeit at other clubs.

The Richmond Cricket Club had great difficulty in meeting it's financial obligations from1990 to 1995 because of enormous problems with the failed social club and only for the determined efforts of the President Michael Quinn directors Peter Davies, Bill Harrison and other members and supporters saw the Cricket and Football clubs form a joint corporate structure to set up a successful working relationship . It took some five years for the club to recover from the dramas of the early part of the decade and during that period were held together in the batting by Michael Foster, David Harris and Matthew Galbraith ,the bowling by Paul Coloe and Stuart Clark,and the hard working record breaking wicketkeeper Gavin Holland , these players and the exceptional talents of the all rounder Cameron Parker kept Richmond in the game.

The season of 1997-98 saw the start of a Tiger renaissance that set the scene and structure for Richmond's 1999-2000, fifth and last first eleven premiership. Captain David Harris, Gavin Holland and Paul Reiffel players from the last Tiger
flag in 1989-90 were joined by two players of immense talent in the first class players Ian Hewett and Jason Amberger and two bowlers Matthew Albers and Alan Wise whose dramatic improvement could see them develop into R.C.C. all time greats.
A Richmond - English import in Paul Collingwood brought great pride to the R.C.C. during the 2000-2001 season when he won the Jack Ryder Medal ,the first Richmond player to perform this fete. Paul Collingwood is now a regular One Day International Player for England and a Test spot beckons.

The Richmond Cricket Club has been well served off the field over the last decade by past President Mark Vergano, Jim Higgs, Tony Hargraves, Bob Albers, Tony Taylor, Jim Hamilton, Jim Bright ,Mike Mulchay , Shane Harris and ladies, Doreen Albers, Beryl Wise and Kaye Rowe. The current President Ken Sharp, Ros and Richard Clifton and the irrepressible Ross Atkins are the proper people to advance the prospects of the young talent at Richmond including, Sam Taylor, Matthew Mulchay, Adam Crosthwaite, and Mark
Simpson.

The Tigers are coming into their 150th season and on reflection the Richmond Cricket Club represents the birth of Victorian and Australian cricket.