East Bergholt Cricket Club

East Bergholt Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the country; the first match between the Gentlemen of East Bergholt against the Gentlemen of Ipswich was recorded in the Ipswich Journal in September 1745.

The Club sits in Division Two of the Two Counties League (Essex and Suffolk). The Two Counties being a feeder league to the East Anglian Premier League. East Bergholt is proud to have produced such fine cricketers as the legendary Ray East (over 1000 first class wickets for Essex) and Phil Caley, who captained the side before moving on to Captain Suffolk for the past 10 years.

The Club runs three adult teams, playing all over East Anglia. The Club also enter the Suffolk Cup competition and have reached the final of the Suffolk Plate, held at Bury St Edmunds, twice in the last three years.

The club runs three youth teams at U11, U13 and U15 levels. The club has a high level, qualified coach from Australia to train around 50 youngsters each week during the summer.

EBCC has strong links with Perth Cricket Club in Australia – the last three of EBCC’s ‘coaches’ having come to the village from a team that spawned Dennis Lillie, Adam Gilchrist and most recently one-day international keeper Luke Ronchi.

Famous faces to don the East Bergholt CC whites

Brendan Cole

Famed more for his moves on the dancefloor in Strictly Come Dancing and his appearance on ITVs Celebrity Love Island Brendan has also experienced the buzz of taking to the field as an East Bergholt cricketer. His one and only appearance for the club was for the 2nd XI vs Maldon back in 2007. His involvement with the club didn't stop there though, Brendan also joined in the fun of the clubs 2007 festival this time playing against the club, representing Jonny Barran's Presidents XI who will once again be on show in this years festival on Monday 31st August. The highlight for Brendan must be his claiming the prize wicket of the clubs current opening bowler.

Neil Foster

Neil Alan Foster (Fozzy) is a former England and Essex cricketer who played in 29 tests and 48 ODIs from 1983 to 1993, although his professional career maybe finished he has shown over the last few years the classthat earned him those England caps whilst playing for East Bergholt.

Back and knee injuries plagued the career of Essex seam bowler Neil Foster so much that the plates in his body once apparently set off an airport metal-detector. In all, he had as many as nine knee operations, and the problems jinxed a fine career. Fozzie had a beautiful, upright action, which generated prolific outswing and seam movement both ways. And he had the priceless ability to dismiss good batsmen: he is the only man to snare Javed Miandad and Viv Richards for 0 in a Test. He came from nowhere to take 11 wickets in England's stunning Madras victory in 1984-85, and at The Oval in 1988 demolished West Indies' top order single-handedly in a devastating display. He went on the rebel tour to South Africa a year later, only to return to Test cricket at his Lord's bogey ground - where his bowling average was 51 - in 1993. He gave in to injury and retired a week later.

Ray East

Ray East was one of the old school, an immensely popular cricketer who always conveyed a sense of fun whenever he played. That often overshadowed his ability - he took over 1000 wickets in his 19 seasons - and while he was serving Essex other less capable players at more fashionable counties represented England. Figures, however, rarely worried him. One of the game's spontaneously funny men - indeed, he could clown quite brilliantly - he formed, with David Acfield, the spin strength of an Essex team which employed mainly seam bowling. East, who stepped virtually straight from village (East Bergholt) cricket into the county game, was a shrewd, philosophical cricketer. From time to time, too, he would heave a few right-handed blows at other bowlers.

His most impressive figures were achieved in the John Player League, in which he bowled what was at the time the most expensive spell - 1 for 79 in eight overs - and four times took five wickets in an innings. In his first-class career he scored 7148 runs and took 254 catches. After retiring he became Essex's coach and their second-team captain.