Origins: After its formation in 1831, Dalton Cricket Club progressed quickly to become Huddersfield’s most prominent team by the start of the 1840s. This was an era in which a number of clubs from around the area played each other in regular challenge matches for stake money.Dalton became a leading force in these contests. As early as 1842, they beat rivals Bradford by two wickets in a match for £20, reputed to be for the ‘Championship of Yorkshire’. The most memorable feature of Dalton’s greatest years was their intense rivalry with Sheffield.
Ground: Dalton Fold.
Leagues: Huddersfield & District League – 1897 onwards.
Club History: Dalton were a major force in Huddersfield cricket for most of the nineteenth century, although the rise of the great Lascelles Hall nursery saw the club displaced as the area’s leading team.Dalton completed an impressive hat trick in the 1920s. They claimed the Paddock Shield in 1925, and then bagged three 2nd XI championships in a row, in 1924, 1925 and 1926.Curiously, it seems that Dalton’s Centenary as a club was celebrated in 1930 rather than 1931. In 1940 and 1942, the club’s 2nd XI came up trumps: in both years they stormed to the Section B title.
Key People: George Berry and his nephew John both played for Yorkshire in the 1840s, as did another Berry, Joseph, who was no relation. Andrew Crossland was a regular in the White Rose team during this period and his brother, Joseph, made one appearance for the county in 1850. Other Dalton men to play for Yorkshire include George Armitage, William Kaye and H Boothroyd.
Top Trivia: In 1990, the press reported on the sale of Dalton Fold to Mohammad Tanvir, a local businessman with a passionate interest in cricket. He owned two cricket clubs and was also chairman of the Quaid-e-Azam Sunday Cricket League.
Folded: 2003.
