Cricket has been played in Wamuran since at least the 1920s, when local players used private land rather than a purpose-built sporting ground.
Nicholson’s flat, in what is now the Glenarba Court area, was selected by the community as a suitable place to play.
During the 1920s, Wamuran played teams including Mt Mee, Stoney Creek, D’Aguilar, Twin View, Morayfield, Woodford and Caboolture. Historical records suggest much of the competition was organised through the Woodford Cricket Association.
By September 1947, Wamuran was competing in the Landsborough Cricket Association alongside teams from Caboolture, Morayfield, Cedarton, Peachester, Caloundra and Landsborough.
Conditions at Nicholson’s paddock were basic. In the early 1950s, Don Lindsay marked the field’s edge with a mouldboard plough. The resulting furrow was so deep that players stumbled crossing it, and it eventually had to be partly filled to make it safer. Preparing for a day’s play also involved removing manure from the field.
The paddock had a concrete cricket pitch, although it was narrower than those used today. A thick canvas cover was laid over the pitch, running all the way down to the crease. Beyond the pitch itself, there were no facilities at Nicholson’s paddock.
Grade Competitions and Association Shifts
Wamuran later fielded A Grade and B Grade teams. A Grade matches were played on Saturday afternoons, while B Grade, which began around 1962, played on Sundays. The opening of the new Wamuran school in 1967 gave B Grade a new home at the school oval.
Local cricketers also represented the Stanley River Cricket Association, which operated from 1945 until 1975. Perc Embrey and Bob McClintock were among the Wamuran players selected for a Stanley Rivers representative team during the 1960s.
After 1975, Wamuran joined Caboolture in the Brisbane Warehouse competition, where about five teams were organised by Wamuran’s Gerry Carseldine. Around 1980, Wamuran joined the Caboolture Club to compete in the North Coast competition, an arrangement that continued until approximately 1992.
New cricket grounds became operational at the Wamuran Sportsground in 1992. Wamuran and Glasshouse then entered their own teams in the Sunshine Coast competition, with Steve Lindsay serving as chairman before Ray Jones took over the role.
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