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Singapore Cricket Club

Singapore Cricket Club, sports club, located at the heart of the city's civic centre along Connaught Drive and overlooking the Padang. It was established in 1852 and has evolved over the years from being an elite colonial sports club to a multi-racial club catering to the sporting and social needs of the Singaporean community. It is the second oldest club in Singapore, a decade younger than the Singapore Turf Club, then known as the Singapore Sporting Club.

Beginnings
The birth of the Cricket Club began with the game of cricket itself. The game was popular among the early European community in Singapore in the mid-19th century with the first game played at the Padang in 1837. In October 1852, the first meeting was held to discuss formally setting up a cricket club. Two historic matches were set on the same month between "The Club" and selected teams, but the teams failed to raise full strength on both sides. It was only in March 1853 that the Club managed to play its first eleven-a-side fixture, with players from the local British merchants and officers from the military garrison.

Description
The Club built its first wooden-hut pavilion in the 1860's and completed its second pavilion, a single-storey bungalow, in 1877. Membership then numbered at 98, but increased to 378 members by 1891. The third pavilion was built in 1884 on the current site and forms the core of the current structure. A fourth pavilion was added in 1907 as a result of the growing membership. In 1922, the northern and southern wings were added, making the clubhouse as it is today. In recent times, however, the Cricket Club has undergone other changes including major renovations to the clubhouse and the addition of facilities like squash courts.

Members
Although the early members were ordinary British merchants, the Club soon grew in standing. Governors of the Straits Settlements were some of the Club's early Presidents. During the Second World War, the Japanese used the clubhouse for several activities, including the Military Administration Department and a Japanese officers' tea-room. It served as an important meeting place, with the Japanese calling it Syonan-ko Tonan Club. Since independence, the club has opened its membership to locals.

Sports
Besides cricket, the club's proximity to the Padang makes it a popular location for games such as rugby, hockey, soccer and even lawn bowling. Currently, the club has 13 sports sections that include squash, tennis and golf.

Timeline
1837 : First game of cricket played in Singapore at the Padang.
1852 : First meeting to formalise the setting up of a cricket club.
1853 : A total of 28 members from the British mercantile community signed on with the club.
1860s : A wooden pavilion formed the early clubhouse.
1870s : Lawn bowl was introduced with regular tournaments by 1898.
1875 : An annual tennis tournament was initiated.
1877 : A second version of the clubhouse was built.
1884 : This third structure forms the core of today's clubhouse.
1892 : Hockey was introduced to Singapore not long since the game was introduced to England in 1849.
1927 : Charles Gordon Macartney and his Australian cricket XI visited the club.
1937 : Sir Julien Cahn's XI became the first English cricket team to visit the Singapore Cricket Club. They played a three-day match against Malaya.
1964 : A Commonwealth XI team's visit brought in eminent players. It included cricketer E. W. Swanton, captain Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie and great players such as Gary Sobers and the Nawab of Pataudi.
1980s : The Rugby Sevens became an international game although it had be played competitively at the Padang since the 1940s.
1992 : Inaugural game of the SCC Hockey Sixes.
Oct 1993 : First international Cricket Sixes played at the Padang, organised by the Singapore Cricket Association.



Author
Bonny Tan



References
Sharp, I. (1993). The Singapore Cricket Club established 1852. Singapore: Singapore Cricket Club.
(Call no.: RSING 796.358060 SHA)

Singapore Cricket Club. (n.d.). History of the Club. Retrieved November 13, 2002, from  www.scc.org.sg/core/history.asp


Further Readings
The padang: Singapore Cricket Club magazine. Singapore: Singapore Cricket Club.
(Call no.: RSING 796.3580605957 PAD).

Singapore Cricket Association (2002). Home of Crickets in Singapore. Retrieved November 13, 2002, from www.cricket.org.sg 

The information in this article is valid as at 1998 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Organsations>>Associations
architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Historic Buildings
Recreation>>Sports
Historic buildings--Singapore
Cricket--Singapore
Cricket--Societies, etc
Sports, recreation and travel>>Ball games>>Cricket
Arts>>Architecture>>Public and commercial buildings