History

History is not History unless it is written. 12 Stars CC would like to say a special thanks to Phil Thomason for penning down these memories before he’s too old to remember them. Thanks also to Mark English for his input.

2020 – present:
New rookie Madhava Vinnakota (Maddy) has accepted as Chairman. He has been a member from 2012. He had his stint of success with Bob Parker Cup couple of times. Incidentally enough, he is also treasurer from 2019 taking the reins from Som Bangalore.

2012 – 2019:
Anthony Brand took over the role of Chairman from 2012. Under his chairmanship, the club grew tremendously. We also won championships in Division 3, then 2 and 1 in consecutive years. But the greatest achievement of all is definitely making “Ferme de Bilande” as the home ground.

Unfortunately, we lost the ground in 2018 after 4 great cricketing years on the green arena.

2005 – 2012:
Peter Whitten graciously accepted the Chairman’s reins from retiring Thomason at the end of the AGM of 2004. He’ll surely put pen to paper on the next installment of the club’s merry history shortly…

2001 – 2005: Return of the Ed:
He’s back, that tall guy…..yeah Ed. that’s his name. In the history of the 12 Stars, Mr Thomason appears twice. At first he arrived as a young 26 year old, he hung around for a bit of bish-bosh, then left. Then this older slower fatter version re-appeared with his arm firmly twisted behind his back (held by Patel and Baker) to storm back into the Club he had been Secretary of before, this time to go straight into the position of Chairman, without passing Go, without collecting £200. His cricket continued in the same old style bish-bosh.

1997 – 2000: Struggles:
Dark days for the 12 Stars…. [Note to any former 12 Stars reading this: “Do you have any materials for this period?”].

1992 – 1996: Golden Years:
In the years between 1992 and 1996, the Club not only grew to be an institution in the world of Belgian cricket, but it also won a few cricket matches. In 1993 12 Stars CC finished second in the BCF First division. This was due largely to an influx of super-star cricketers including a long list of names famously reported by Ed in the Stumps Up club Journal. Names like John Symon (New Zealand test class wicket keeper), Arnold Ridout (Surrey II), Dean Cooper (Durham Univ.), Graeme Cooper, Dudley and Andor Gradwell, Gordon Burton (Captain), Tim Lighting, Suresh Balliram, Tony Harper, Paul Farrar and Brian Hardy. This team achieved the best season in the history of the 12 Stars with a record of W4,D3,L1 in the League, and including the best ever result, batting second to win by 8 wickets scoring 314-2. It is interesting to note that this team also allowed a few other infamous 12 Stars to play, including none other than Messrs Thomason, Patel and Baker. Second in the League and a trophy for finishing second in the Jinnah Cup saw 12 Stars with its first ever ’success’.

The 1994 season saw the inauguration of what was to become a pillar of 12 Stars life: Stumps Up. The origins of Stumps Up are simple. It was the first ever end of year bash, organised by the members at the end of the 1991 season. You know typical stuff, at the BSB, raffle tickets, bring your own…..Later it became something else altogether. At the AGM end of 1993, Graeme Cooper was honoured with the title ‘Ed.’ And the auspicious remit of instilling a little ‘esprit de corps’ into proceedings. He of course promptly got promoted out of Belgium, leaving the job in the able hands of the by then Club Sec Phil Thomason. Ten years, and a half-century of Stumps Up later somebody famously said, “I’ve been in the Club for over 2 years and I am still waiting to meet the guy called Edward, who is he?.” such has been the success of the Stumps Up journal!

1989 – 1991: The Founding Fathers (taken from the first Club handbook, dated 1991):
“During the 1980s, many cricket sides had been using the playing field at the British School of Tervuren for the occasional evening and weekend fixture. It was during the summer of 1989 when the game began to be played with increasing enthusiasm that a suggestion was made to form a new cricket club. In October 1989 a group of five people met in Overijse (Richard Swaine, Bill Steggels, Peter Storey, …) and mapped out the broad requirements of what would be needed to organize a side ready to play against the established Belgian clubs during the 1990 season. The original suggestions for a name for the club centered on ‘Tervuren C.C’ and the ‘European C.C.’. A final decision was deferred to a further meeting. It was also agreed that a President must be found. One month later all was settled, the self-appointed committee agreed the club would be known as ‘The Twelve Stars C.C.”. A Club is born, its founding fathers had met and deliberated in the living room of the Club’s first Chairman Richard Swaine. The alternative historical anecdote to this reads “Ah well it was his bat”. Richard remains the proudest 12 Star to this day, and living on the south coast (Blighty) continues to watch from the boundary. Bill Steggels became the first Captain.