Selkirk Cricket Club Prepares to Celebrate Historic Milestone
As Scotland’s 10th oldest continuously existing cricket club, it comes as no surprise to learn plans are well advanced to commemorate Selkirk’s 175th anniversary in 2026 – a major milestone for the Philiphaugh-based club.
These include a sports dinner to be held on Friday, September 4, at which the guest speakers include well-known TV sports presenter Jill Douglas, former world professional sprint champion George MacNeill, ex-Scotland cricket captain George Salmond, as well as political columnist of “The Times” Alex Massie, who on occasion still turns out for Selkirk’s team.
Thanks to the good offices of the aforementioned Mr Massie, on Sunday, August 9, a special fixture has been arranged against the Authors Cricket Club. Founded in 1899, its past players include none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who by coincidence captained the MCC in a match against Selkirk at Philiphaugh in 1904.
The club also plans to resurrect Selkirk’s popular six-a-side Factory Cup competition for the 2026 season, while it will once again be staging its local primary schools festival at Philiphaugh.
Selkirk Cricket Club was instituted on May 6, 1851, the sport having been introduced to the town by two Yorkshire engineers, identified in records only as Humber and Newbury. The pair had travelled north to instal looms in the local tweed mills, and found the local menfolk eager to take up the game.
The Souters’ first official fixture in the 1851 season was a home match against Kelso. The game started at 11am, and at the end of the day’s play a dinner was held in the County Hotel. Each side had two innings, and Kelso won the contest by two runs.
Alex Hope, Ed Davidson, John Johnstone, John Douglas, John Dryden, R. Douglas, Jas Johnstone, Jas Dobson, Wm Little, Wm Davidson, John Anderson, John Irvine, John Sanderson, Jas Inglis & Wm Douglas
For the first 21 years of Selkirk Cricket Club’s existence, games were played on the Public Haugh (now Victoria Park), with the first pitch being located on the area of ground later to become the site of Bridgehaugh Dyeworks.
Soon the club moved its playing base to ground at Riverside Mill, before the opening of the new Selkirk branch railway line in 1856 saw the club’s square being taken over to accommodate the town’s new railway station.
At the end of the 1871 season, Selkirk Town Council informed the club of its intention to build new factories on its outfield, necessitating yet another ground transfer in time for the 1872 season.
It was Selkirk Cricket Club’s president, Sir John Murray of Philiphaugh, who saved the day by offering to feu the club a field at Philiphaugh, which Selkirk has occupied to the present day. The new Philiphaugh ground was officially opened on June 8, 1872, with a match against Scotland’s leading club, the Grange of Edinburgh.
From left: Back Row – A. Mahone, W. Ingles, J. Sanderson, R. Anderson,
D. Boddy (prof.), J. Douglas (umpire)
Seated – A. Blacklock, W. Scott, W. Robertson, T. McBain, W. Mathison (scorer)
Front – J. Mathison, R. Harvey (capt.). (Photo – A. R. Edwards, Selkirk)
Over the past 175 years, a total of 11 Selkirk players have won full international honours for Scotland They are:
T. Lang (1880), J. Buchanan (1890), A. Blacklock (1903), W. Greive (1910),
J. Greive (1911-1935), W. Greive (1912-1914), S. Hiddleston (1930-1934),
D. Soga (1936), A. Henderson (1953), D. Stewart (1969-79), I. Philip (1986-1999).
D. Stewart (1977), B. Hunter (1989) and S. Wilson (1992-1994) were Selkirk’s three Scotland ‘B’ caps.
Widely acknowledged as one Scotland’s most scenic grounds, over the years Philiphaugh has played host to many of Scotland’s international fixtures.
Famous cricketers to have played on Selkirk’s sacred sward include Australia’s star all-rounder Keith Miller, West Indies’ legendary figure Sir Learie Constantine, as well as former Pakistan captain Imran Kahn and, more recently, West Indies’ popular paceman Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner.
From left: Back – J. C. Smith, R. Hall, W. Hamilton, J. Christie, D. Mabon, I. Cooper.
Seated – R. Johnstone, M. Cook, T. Brown (capt.), E. Riddell, H. Lockie.
Selkirk’s current crop of cricketers did the club proud last season when, under the captaincy of Daniel Heard, the Souters lifted the Border T20 Cup for the first time.
Selkirk’s 2026 campaign will kick off with a pre-season friendly against Haddington at Philiphaugh in April, heralding what is sure to be a momentous year for the club.