About

Estate workers on the Studley Royal estate started playing cricket in the Deer Park at Studley Roger around 1900 but it was not until the early 1970’s that Robert Sowray founded Studley Royal Cricket Club. Rob had to beg, steal or borrow players to get a team together each week in the early days and it soon became apparent to him that for the future benefit of the Club, junior cricket was required. This early vision today sees the Club fielding four adult Saturday teams, two adult evening league teams and six junior teams across four age groups.

Originally one team played in the Nidderdale League, and they played their way through the divisions winning Division 3 in 1987 and Division 2 in 1991. In the late 1990s the club built a new ground at Galphay Road between Studley Roger village and Ripon. Today the 1st and 2nd team play at Galphay Road ground while the 3rd and 4th team play in the Deer Park.

The 1st team won the Nidderdale League Division 1 in 2001 which was a fitting finale as the decision had been taken to progress into Senior League cricket and in 2002 Studley Royal began life in the York Senior League Division 2. Three seasons later they became League Division 2 champions, followed a few seasons later by winning Division 1 in an unbeaten league season in 2009, and now we play in the Premier Division. In 2022, the club gained promotion back to the Yorkshire League North Championship and the aim for 2023 is promotion to the Yorkshire League North ECB Premier Division to play the highest standard of Yorkshire Club Cricket. The club has now grown to have three other senior Saturday teams playing in Divisions 2, 5 and 8 of the Nidderdale League, as well as a Wednesday night team in the Harrogate & District Evening League.