The Durbanville Cricket Club was started 1942, ceased to function towards the end of WWII and was restarted 1954/55 at the old fields in Queen Street. Today you will find a residential complex where many big matches were played in those days. The club moved to its new headquarters in Sports way, where there are three fields, of which 2 are provincial rated fields.

The hockey club uses the facilities in the winter, and also throughout the year by the very successful running club. The main oval also is named after the club’s president: Ed Fivaz, a legend in the Durbanville community. On his day he was known as a very good swing bowler and as a batsman that was like the Rock of Gibraltar. The official renaming ceremony took place on the 2nd of October 2004. The fields have a lovely setting with lots of trees surrounding it. It almost reminds you of the villages in England.

Seeing that the club is almost like a close family, many players have played for the club more than 20 seasons, like Russell Davis and Nico Bester. Currently, Nico Oosthuizen is the longest active playing member at the club, with 13 seasons under his belt for the club. The club is famous for its friendly atmosphere and not a lot a people know it, but the last Englishmen to take a hat trick at Newlands, Bob Honeness, pla yed for Durbanville – and still at the age of almost 80, he visits the club. Mathys Brink and Wallace Albertyn, both ex and current Boland players also started their cricket careers at Durbies. Sakkie Lambrecht, ex Boland player, also played at the club in the late nineties before he retired, although he still helps the club’s lower teams every season and currently he is the first team coach.

The clubhouse was built by the members themselves and will be undergoing alterations in the next six months to accommodate the bigger numbers with the running club joining and also WP using the fields more and more for provincial matches. Being on the outer border of the province makes it an ideal venue for outreach by WP to the community. The pitch of the A-field, that is almost as old the club, will be replaced in the second half of the season with the financial help of the council.

The club progressed very well over the past few years. It gained promotion to 1B in the 1996/97. The last 2 seasons the club did overall very well. The first team ended second in the 2002/2003 season, and in 2003/2004 ran away with the 1B title! Currently, the first team is playing in its third season in the 1A league. The second team plays in Reserve A – also their third season in this league. It is the top league for second sides of clubs. The third XI plays in the Reserve F. Fourth XI plays in the 40 over league third division – 3A. The fifth side plays in 3B and the sixth side plays in 3C.

The all rounder in the team: Linian Da Silva, hit in 2003/2004 in a vital game against Langa: 102 of 63 balls! Needless to say, “Luckless” as he is called, played a very big roll in winning promotion to 1A with the bat and ball. Other important contributions were made by Gunthe Meningke, Jaco De Jager and Wayne Richardson with the bat and Francios Gantz, Bernard Loots, Mike Brown and Johan Rousseau with the ball. The main wicket taker was Darren Nagel with 53 wickets. The spirit in the club was showed last season when “Luckles” got injured in a very important game against Fishhoek, De Vries Basson ”Doc”, first treated him for the injury and then fielded with fractured finger in his place to help the team win a very important game that swung the season for Durbanville.

In 2004/2005 the club had an international player in Gregor Maiden – he plays for Scotland. Currently Gary Wilson, wicketkeeper/batsmen from Ireland/Surrey, plays at the club. The ex-Bellville High Thomas twins both play for the club. The first team ended tenth out of twelve teams and the second team won Reserve A and lost in the one day Final to Pinelands in 2004/2005.The third team also won Reserve D2 and also lost in the one day final. The fifth team won their league and the fourth and sixth teams ended sixth and fourth respectively. The 2004/2005 was very successful and the club ended second in the club of the year competition in the Western Cape.

2005/2006 Bob Homani, ex EP player, Darius VD Walt, ex Matie and Brendon Viret, WP 0/19A joined the club. Ruan Dwyer also joined the club from Bellville. The club has also with the help of the council and Newslands groundsman, Christo Erasmus relayed the A-field’s pitch and the C-field is currently being enlarged to be a full- sized field, making it the only club in the WP with 3 full sized fields! The C- field also has a second table.

2006/2007 Mthemba “Magic” Mjekula joined the club f or the Warriors and Gary Wilson (Surrey and Ireland) played as overseas player for us. Both Bob Homani and Mjekula played for the WP amateur side and Brendan Viret got called up to the WP Academy and also the SA Schools Academy side. Morne Heyneke took over 50 wickets in the 1A two day competition. The first side ended eight out of fourteen sides in the 1a after we w ere seen as possible relegation candidates at the beginning of that season The third side won their league- Res F and the fourth side won 3A under the captaincy respectively of PC Burger and Jannie De Lange.

The junior section, started with just 14 kids almost 10 years ago, and is also going from strength to strength under the watchful eye of Manny Senger – the Junior Chairman. Practice is on Friday evenings and is always a special social event for the parents. Night games during the season on the A-field are very popular and the club promised to send a contracted player once a month to help with practices, along with the regular coaches.

If you want to join the club you can contact the club Secretary: info.durbanvillecricket@gmail.com