Isham Cricket Club

Isham Cricket Club can trace its origins back to the last century, although the precise date of its foundation is unclear.

The diary of the village school states that a 'Cricket Supper' was held there in October 1877, and in 1882 - the year of England's famous defeat in the 'Ashes' Test at The Oval - a detailed account of Isham Cricket Club's annual meeting and dinner appears in the 'Kettering Observer' of November 17.

Between 60 and 70 members and friends attended, and were entertained by the village brass band. The secretary, Charles Wilson, reported that the five matches played that season had produced two victories, two defeats and a draw. The Reverend R.J. Clarke, in the chair, proposed the main toast of the evening - "Success to Isham Cricket Club" - and the president, James Marriott, responded.

The club was still active around the turn of the century, and a scorecard survives from Isham's local derby against Orlingbury on May 25, 1901. Orlingbury's 77 all out proved a winning score as Isham succumbed for 51 in reply, and their batting tribulations continued later that summer when they

were dismissed for just 15 at Cranford! There is more evidence - some of it photographic - of cricket being played in the village either side of World War One, but the club in its present form came into being in 1850.

Within two years Isham CC had a proper home in Orlingbury Road, a pavilion was added in 1955, and the club tasted competitive cricket in the Mid Northants Village League which it won in 1966 with 13 victories from 18 matches, including a 'double' over Orlingbury on successive weekends in August. Orlingbury lost their ground in 1968 and amalgamated with Isham, who moved to their present home and entered the Northamptonshire County League in 1980.

Successive promotions took the club into the Premier Division in 1991, and a couple of summers later - boosted by the presence of Ex-New Zealand's skipper, Stephen Fleming - Isham finished as Premier runners-up to the County Colts. On a never-to-be-forgotten Sunday afternoon in 1997, Isham beat friendly rivals Horton House at the County Ground to win the Northamptonshire Knock-Out Cup for the first time.

Isham's 2nd XI has also played in the County League since 1993, and in 1999 the club became one of the 17 founder members of the new Northamptonshire Sunday Challenge. Isham's Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 sides compete in the Higham and District Youth League, while Isham Zingari helped keep Saturday friendly cricket alive in Northamptonshire.

After many years of friendly cricket on a Sunday, Isham finally took up the challange of entering the Rutland League in 2005 with the aim of  introducing younger players into league cricket. In 2014 the Sunday XI were crowned Division 5 Champions.

2011 held another momentous occasion in Isham's history as Isham Zingari entered  the Northants County League in Division 14.

2020 saw the first season where Isham combined forces with the Wellingborough Indians Cricket Club (WICC) on the playing side to field adult teams in a Covid 19 shortened season. The playing partnership will be continued in 2021 in hopefully a full season.

The club, in partnership with WICC, will field 4 Saturday XI's in the Northants County League -

• 1st XI - NCL Division 2
• 2nd XI - NCL Division 3
• 3rd XI NCL Division 7
• 4th XI NCL Division 14