There has been a cricket club in Langport since at least 1838, although it has had a chequered history. At some periods it was joined with Somerton, as the Langport & Somerton Cricket Club; at others with Curry Rivel, as the Curry Rivel & Langport Cricket Club, and since 1946 it has been known as the Huish & Langport Cricket Club.
The Langport side suffered a notorious defeat at the hands of Glastonbury on 31 May 1902, when they were all out for 0. A contributor has supplied this image, which includes an account of the match and a photo of the Glastonbury team.
The press report reproduced above appeared in the Central Somerset Gazette of 9 August 1946. Contemporary accounts give a slightly different score for Glastonbury (80 rather than 86), but all the reports claim that the match was a record. Its extraordinary score even made headlines in Australia, where the Evening Telegraph in Queensland described the bowling as ‘sensational’. Their report concluded: ‘A full strong batting side all dismissed with 27 balls, and nothing but 0’s to mark the scoring is, we believe, the record in the history of the game’.
The club pavilion was built in memory of the Master and Old Boys of Langport Grammar School who were killed in the First World War. It was opened on 29 March 1922 by the famous Somerset cricketer Sammy Woods. Sadly, its thatch was destroyed by a fire in 1947. It is now home to the Huish & Langport Cricket Club.
Click on an image to enlarge it and see the caption
