Bearsted Cricket Club believe they could be the oldest club in the country to be playing at their original home as they celebrate their 275th anniversary.

The club have been based at Bearsted Green since their formation in 1749, and that was the venue for two special matches as anniversary celebrations continued.

They hosted Surrey outfit Ripley, who are celebrating the same milestone.

Bearsted won an exciting game by one wicket after dismissing their opponents for 173.

Two days later they welcomed the MCC to the village.

The visitors won by 53 runs, posting 170 before bowling out Bearsted for 117.

Following the match, a plaque was unveiled by club president Steve Pearce marking 275 years of cricket.

“We know of other clubs who are older than us but they’ve moved grounds,” said Pearce, whose 37 years at Bearsted make him one of the longest-serving players.

“We can’t prove it but we’re potentially the oldest club to play on the same ground all their history.

“I just think we’re very fortunate to have such a picturesque place to play cricket.

“It’s the centre of the village so we do attract a lot of people, simply because it’s such a lovely place.

“We’re expanding massively at the moment.

“We’ve now got three Saturday sides, a Sunday side, two ladies sides and colts teams from under-7s to under-16s.

“Since the 1970s we’ve had colts teams so we’ve had that feeding through to the seniors all the time but we’ve managed to attract more people and get a third Saturday side out. Next year, we might even get a fourth.”

The biggest match ever to take place on Bearsted Green came in 1929 when the club faced the South African tourists.

The unlikely fixture was made possible by former England and Middlesex captain Pelham Warner, who lived near the village and has a stand named after him at Lord’s.

Notable ex-players include spin bowler Tich Freeman (1946-47), who took 3,776 First Class wickets, and David Sayer (1954), who played for Kent and took more than 600 wickets in his First Class career. Sayer has a memorial bench on the Green.

In 1958, the current pavilion was opened by Lord Cornwallis and a match played between a Les Ames XI and a Colin Cowdrey XI in aid of Fred Ridgeway’s benefit.

Bearsted have won various league titles over the years.

Successes include a 1st and 2nd XI double in the Invicta League in 2002.

On joining the Kent County League, they won Division 2 North and in 2021 the 1sts completed an unbeaten season en route to the Division 1 championship.

In 2020, Bearsted entered the National Village Cup for the first time, winning the Kent region.

The club have released a book, entitled ‘Celebrating 275 Years of Bearsted Cricket Club’.

It’s available by calling Steve on 07740 796002 or emailing stephenandtammy204@gmail.com