Tideford
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Tideford
CRICKET CLUB
Y
ou will find Tideford Cricket Club nestling in beautiful countryside on the Port
Eliot Estate in South East Cornwall. Between the village centres of St Germans
and Tideford it is easily accessible from the A38 trunk road. First founded just after the
World War One Tideford has played on Port Eliot Estate since 1973.
Tideford enters two teams into the
Cornish Cricket League and attracts
players from surrounding towns and
villages keen to play on one of the most
beautiful cricket grounds in the area. It
is also a ground touring clubs are keen
to enjoy. Under 11’s play in local junior
leagues and junior players are drawn
from several nearby schools.
Tideford has a proud record of self-
sufficiency and has developed as a result
of voluntary effort, grants, legacies
and kind donations from sponsors.
It provides playing facilities equal to
any found nearby. Finding volunteers
though is difficult for any sports club
and Tideford is no exception.
Despite this Tideford is in good heart
and has more than held its own in league
cricket this summer. Its juniors did
likewise. Winter activity is now in full
swing with Tideford organising the local
indoor league. This is played at Liskeard
Leisure Centre amongst local clubs.
A further team ventures into nearby
Plymouth to compete in an indoor
competition there. Indoor nets start in
February and are open to all.
Tideford is very aware of the need
to provide junior cricket. With two
towns nearby providing no facilities
whatsoever, and in one case no cricket
club at all, Tideford has prided itself on
providing this facility. As always lack
of qualified coaches presents the most
difficult challenges and the transition of
junior players is essential.
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This is particularly so in an area where
many children leave to attend University
and do not return to Cornwall. Child
Protection and the Coach Qualification
Schemes involve greater demands and
vigilance and current arrangements
mean more and more is being divided
between fewer and fewer volunteers.
Finance is another potential problem.
Tideford has been lucky so far but
machinery to maintain the ground has
become more and more expensive. We
have a very loyal and skilled groundsman
who not only looks after the ground
but also the mowers and rollers. These
inevitably wear and become irreparable.
Their replacement cost is considerable.
Not being located in an urban area means
we have recourse to few commercial
operations for sponsorship.
One that has helped us considerably
is W H Bond and Sons who operate
several significant businesses nearby
including a saw mill and plant hire.
Three generations and several strands
of the Bond family have played for
Tideford with the youngest recently
passing through our Under 11 system.