"Bradshaw has been on the map of the cricket world for a good many years and the B.C.C. was once on a par with Eagley, Horwich etc., in their old time palmy days of 30 years ago.

The ground is a tip-topper as regards being well drained; indeed, one of the enthusiasts in the days of old - 40 years ago or more - said to me: 'I have been on all the grounds in the Bolton district, and there is not a better one than this. It is our third season here, for we have been evicted from two other grounds in the vicinity. However, Mr. Thos. Hardcastle and his son Captain Hardcastle of the Imperial Yeomanry have helped us a great deal, and the enclosure is splendidly drained.' And to think that three years ago that very field was a positive swamp!

This organisation, let it be remarked, was established eight years ago under its present colours, but there was a Bradshaw C.C. some decades back, as already noted.

As at Eagley last week, I dropped on men at Bradshaw to-day who would have been delighted to have seen our editor 'Olympian' because they remember when he used to bowl and bat with any of them. The cracks of 30 and 40 years since are as enthusiastic as ever - the Holts for example; and then there is Mr. Wright Greenhalgh, and Mr. William Smith, whom everybody in the district used to know as 'Bill' Smith when he was wont to go to the Bolton C.C. ground at Back-o'th-Bank, and antagonise none other than MacIntyre the Famous. Those were grand old days. So they say, I wasn't in the swim then; but if I encounter many more of these veteran local enthusiasts, I shall soon feel as antiquated an old fogey as ever breathed."

Extracts from the Cricket and Football field, Bolton Evening News, Sports Edition. Bradshaw v Farnworth at The Rigbys 11.5.1901

What then is known of this original Bradshaw Cricket Club, that existed "some decades back", from 1901?

Well many cricket clubs were being formed in the mid-nineteenth century, with Bradshaw perhaps a late arrival on the scene. Nevertheless they played with considerable if somewhat brief success in 1870 and 1871.

The Buff of 1917 ran a series of articles under the title "Chats with Veteran Athletes", the edition for 25th August featured "Wm. Smith - A Bradshaw Fast Bowler", in which is to be found the following:-

"The Bradshaw Cricket Club was, he thought, formed some time in the sixties. They played behind 'The House Without a Name' a public-house on the roadside beyond Bradshaw Chapel, but the land was ultimately taken from them by the farmer.

Then they took a field at Moss Hill and after laying a crease played there for three years. Then the farmer who had farmed their previous field took this over too, and gave them notice to quit - it was quite evident he was no lover of the summer pastime."

Forerunning the formation of the first Bradshaw Cricket Club, cricket in Bradshaw started its recorded life with a match at Firwood on June 20th 1868, Bradshaw Hall batting twice for forty and twenty plus against Castle Hill's one innings of fifty plus. Then in July Bradshaw Works C.C. played a match, Six of the 1st Eleven v 2nd team, with the result 62 for the Six, 24 for the 2nd, and in the same month Bradshaw at home comfortably defeated Albion in a two-innings match. Bradshaw Hall played and lost the return game against Castle Hill, totalling only 53 in both innings against Castle Hill's 32 and 72. Bradshaw then had reported matches at home against Haulgh and Breightmet Sunday Schools, winning both these two-innings games.

Not surprisingly, practically all the same names appeared for all three teams. In 1869 all the matches accounted for were played under the banner of Bradshaw Works, Clarence at Bradford Park and at home, Christ Church home and away, Kensington at home; also Horwich, Little Bolton Alexandre and Hilliwell Perserverance, for which no venues are recorded. All of these games were won, with the exception of that against Hilliwell Perseverance who were in dire trouble when heavy rain intervened, and that lost by six runs to Clarence at Bradshaw in what must have been the last match of the season on September 18th. The only other recorded match of that summer was Bradshaw Works' 2nd team v Young Albert, in which the Works side's 28 and 6, were either just too much, or just too little for Young Albert's 9 and 23 or 26, the second innings figure being indecipherable.