History of the Centaurs
The Centaurs was originally founded as the Civil Service Cricket Club in 1903. The Civil Service Cricket Club competed in the first match ever to be played in the Hong Kong Cricket League on 24th October 1903 against the Craigengower Cricket Club. The stalwarts of the early period of the CSCC were R C Witchell, G A Woodcock, P T Lamble, H T Jackson and Dr Atkinson. The CSCC's home ground was at Happy Valley. As quoted by the Hong Kong Daily Press on 10th April 1909 'Now they have a permanent habitation. A handsome pavilion of bricks and tiles has been erected on the site of the old quarters and with a nice garden in front it will look perhaps the most picturesque in the valley.' The clubhouse had a bar, dressing and bathrooms.
CSCC won the First Division championship in the 1920-21 season, with the redoubtable Witchell still leading the batting, along with schoolmaster J de Rome and G H Piercy, F J Ling and Geoffrey Sayer. In 1924-25, CSCC achieved a fine double, winning both the First and Second Division championships. Sayer was still batting well in the first division team. In the 1940-41 season, the last before the Pacific war, CSCC lost a closely contested match to the Kowloon Cricket Club, the eventual double league champions. Geoffrey Sayer, Interport cricketer and later Director of Education, was largely responsible for promoting the game of cricket, both in the Civil Service and in the schools, in the years preceding the Pacific war.
Civil Service cricket ceased after the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in efforts were made after the war by a few individuals to rekindle interest, this failed, due mainly to the absence of many older former members and the tendency of new civil service recruits such clubs as the HKCC and KCC. In Octover 1949, the Financial Secretary, declared the CSCC defunct.
The Centaurs was unofficially formed in 1953 and played friendlies vs all and sundry but were not admitted into the Second Division (current Saturday League) until 1957. On Saturday, 5th October 1957, a group of Government officers led by Alan Bailey, Jimmy McGregor and Norman Whitley officially formed the Centaurs who played in their first league match at the KGV School ground against Docklands CC. The Centaurs were all out for 121 runs, and lost the game by 6 wickets. Alan Bailey and Norman Oei scored 40 and 39 respectively. The Centaurs, instead of 'The Hong Kong Government Officers' Team', are regarded as the Government team composed of civil servants of one variety of another, although there have been a number of exceptions.
Although playing well for many season, the Centaurs did not win the league title until 1963-64, ably led by Alan Bailey. John Gowler took 110 wickets, which remains the Second Division (Saturday) league record to this day. The title was won again in the 1967-68 season, bring shared with the HKCC Nomads. The new star was Bryan Hemshall, who took 47 wickets at an average of only 7.02 per wicket. The Centaurs' most successful period was from 1971-72 through to 1974-75, when, under the astute and determine captaincy of Bryan Hemshall, they won the league title three times. Possibly the change of home ground from KGV School to Sookunpoo also played a part. Prominent players during this fruitful period were Jim Danks, Keith Broadbridge, Tony Hammond, Bryan Hemshall, Jim Hughes, Peter Olsen, Mark Weedon, Terry Wood, Nigel French and Martin Lewis.
The league title was won once more in the 1979-80 season. In this season, Peter Olsen became the first and still only man to have recorded over 1000 runs in a season for the Centaurs amassing 1062 runs at an average of 55.89 and scoring over 70+ runs 7 times. This record was to remain nonthreatening until the arrival of future Hong Kong captain Stewart Brew a decade later in the 1989-90 season. Brew scored 982 runs at an average of 89.27 with 4 unbeaten centuries that season. He was rightfully awarded the Saturday League batting award and the Hong Kong Bank Player of the Year. Although leaving the Centaurs for the HKCC Witherers after only two seasons, Stewart would go on and dominate the Hong Kong domestic cricket scene in the next decade. The 90's sees the arrival of a second generation Centaur in Keith Hemshall who has followed in his father's footsteps in captaining the Centaurs and to this day still representing the Centaurs every Saturday. In the early millennium albeit a decade or two late, Hong Kong legend Gopal Lalchandani joins and captains the mighty Taurs. Keith Hemshall relinquished the Centaurs captaincy at the beginning of the 2010-11 season and was succeeded by the 10 year Centaur stalwart Ben Dickinson. The 2010-11 season also sees the arrival of former Hong Kong opening batsman, wicketkeeper and one-day international player Nasir Hameed after Police CC withdrawing from the Saturday League. Nasir becomes the first Centaur in 21 years to score 3 centuries in a season which also includes a memorable maiden double-ton in Centaurs history with a record 212* from 115 deliveries (20x4 15x6) against Kai Tak at the Hong Kong University ground.
More recent sides, with a greater mix of honorary members, have had disappointing results. However, as Tony Clark, a Centaurs stalwart himself said in 75 Not Out: '...hope springs eternal'. Another writer said: 'the Centaurs are a team of characters...striving hard to play cricket fairly and firmly with determination - a flamboyant team who played it hard.' Tony Clark, in his history of the CSCC/Centaurs, singled out two outstanding postwar Centaurs players who have given much time to and provided valuable service for cricket in Hong Kong. Bryan Hemshall - apart from leading the Centaurs so successfully during their 'golden period', has also been a very able and thorough Secretary and Chairman of the HKCA, deeply involved with the administration of the game in Hong Kong and also been the Captain of Cricket of the Hong Kong Cricket Club. Alan Bailey - one of the founder members of the Centaurs and a performer in every department of the game - also served on the HKCA Executive Committee and was responsible for producing the cricket square at the HKCC's new ground at Wong Nai Chung Gap, which was successfully transplanted from the Chater Road ground.
Peter Hall, in his book '150 years of Cricket in Hong Kong' would add the names of Tony Clark and Graham Fletcher, for their own contributions to Hong Kong cricket, apart from their cricketing enthusiasm - Tony with the 'pen' and Graham with the 'camera'. Also Eddie Cunningham for his many years of dedicated service as the loyal Centaurs scorer. Many persons, too numerous to name, have also played their part in making the Centaurs a successful side, not only in results, but in the way the game was played. Geoff Fawcett, one of the earlier members of the Centaurs, remembers: All the team were genuine civil servants. Our attitude was very Gower-like. Once BGH (Bryan Hemshall) came on the scene, we were more Gooch-led, but with better results! But it was more fun before, and I think we set a better example of sportsmanship when we played the lads at DBS, KGV and later Island School.
This brief history would be short-changed without a reference to a Centaurs overseas social cricket excursion. The Centaurs have made periodic tours to Thailand, with matches culminating at the RBSC in Bangkok, for the Bailey-Morris Trophy (named after Alan Bailey, co-founder and one-time President of Centaurs, and Eric Morris, doyen of RBSC cricket). Prior to the 'big game', the Centaurs usually sampled Chiangmai hospitality in Northern Thailand. The Centaurs have always been a tough nut to crack, but a team who enjoyed the game of cricket.
Although the Centaurs do not have any direct affiliation with any Sunday League teams, many Centaurs greats such as Peter Olsen, Jim Hughes, Mike Duggan, Stewart Brew and Shane Sibraa have all represented the Hong Kong Cricket Club Optimists. Moreover current Centaurs-Optimists players include Paul Molloy and Jason Lui.
CSCC won the First Division championship in the 1920-21 season, with the redoubtable Witchell still leading the batting, along with schoolmaster J de Rome and G H Piercy, F J Ling and Geoffrey Sayer. In 1924-25, CSCC achieved a fine double, winning both the First and Second Division championships. Sayer was still batting well in the first division team. In the 1940-41 season, the last before the Pacific war, CSCC lost a closely contested match to the Kowloon Cricket Club, the eventual double league champions. Geoffrey Sayer, Interport cricketer and later Director of Education, was largely responsible for promoting the game of cricket, both in the Civil Service and in the schools, in the years preceding the Pacific war.
Civil Service cricket ceased after the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in efforts were made after the war by a few individuals to rekindle interest, this failed, due mainly to the absence of many older former members and the tendency of new civil service recruits such clubs as the HKCC and KCC. In Octover 1949, the Financial Secretary, declared the CSCC defunct.
The Centaurs was unofficially formed in 1953 and played friendlies vs all and sundry but were not admitted into the Second Division (current Saturday League) until 1957. On Saturday, 5th October 1957, a group of Government officers led by Alan Bailey, Jimmy McGregor and Norman Whitley officially formed the Centaurs who played in their first league match at the KGV School ground against Docklands CC. The Centaurs were all out for 121 runs, and lost the game by 6 wickets. Alan Bailey and Norman Oei scored 40 and 39 respectively. The Centaurs, instead of 'The Hong Kong Government Officers' Team', are regarded as the Government team composed of civil servants of one variety of another, although there have been a number of exceptions.
Although playing well for many season, the Centaurs did not win the league title until 1963-64, ably led by Alan Bailey. John Gowler took 110 wickets, which remains the Second Division (Saturday) league record to this day. The title was won again in the 1967-68 season, bring shared with the HKCC Nomads. The new star was Bryan Hemshall, who took 47 wickets at an average of only 7.02 per wicket. The Centaurs' most successful period was from 1971-72 through to 1974-75, when, under the astute and determine captaincy of Bryan Hemshall, they won the league title three times. Possibly the change of home ground from KGV School to Sookunpoo also played a part. Prominent players during this fruitful period were Jim Danks, Keith Broadbridge, Tony Hammond, Bryan Hemshall, Jim Hughes, Peter Olsen, Mark Weedon, Terry Wood, Nigel French and Martin Lewis.
The league title was won once more in the 1979-80 season. In this season, Peter Olsen became the first and still only man to have recorded over 1000 runs in a season for the Centaurs amassing 1062 runs at an average of 55.89 and scoring over 70+ runs 7 times. This record was to remain nonthreatening until the arrival of future Hong Kong captain Stewart Brew a decade later in the 1989-90 season. Brew scored 982 runs at an average of 89.27 with 4 unbeaten centuries that season. He was rightfully awarded the Saturday League batting award and the Hong Kong Bank Player of the Year. Although leaving the Centaurs for the HKCC Witherers after only two seasons, Stewart would go on and dominate the Hong Kong domestic cricket scene in the next decade. The 90's sees the arrival of a second generation Centaur in Keith Hemshall who has followed in his father's footsteps in captaining the Centaurs and to this day still representing the Centaurs every Saturday. In the early millennium albeit a decade or two late, Hong Kong legend Gopal Lalchandani joins and captains the mighty Taurs. Keith Hemshall relinquished the Centaurs captaincy at the beginning of the 2010-11 season and was succeeded by the 10 year Centaur stalwart Ben Dickinson. The 2010-11 season also sees the arrival of former Hong Kong opening batsman, wicketkeeper and one-day international player Nasir Hameed after Police CC withdrawing from the Saturday League. Nasir becomes the first Centaur in 21 years to score 3 centuries in a season which also includes a memorable maiden double-ton in Centaurs history with a record 212* from 115 deliveries (20x4 15x6) against Kai Tak at the Hong Kong University ground.
More recent sides, with a greater mix of honorary members, have had disappointing results. However, as Tony Clark, a Centaurs stalwart himself said in 75 Not Out: '...hope springs eternal'. Another writer said: 'the Centaurs are a team of characters...striving hard to play cricket fairly and firmly with determination - a flamboyant team who played it hard.' Tony Clark, in his history of the CSCC/Centaurs, singled out two outstanding postwar Centaurs players who have given much time to and provided valuable service for cricket in Hong Kong. Bryan Hemshall - apart from leading the Centaurs so successfully during their 'golden period', has also been a very able and thorough Secretary and Chairman of the HKCA, deeply involved with the administration of the game in Hong Kong and also been the Captain of Cricket of the Hong Kong Cricket Club. Alan Bailey - one of the founder members of the Centaurs and a performer in every department of the game - also served on the HKCA Executive Committee and was responsible for producing the cricket square at the HKCC's new ground at Wong Nai Chung Gap, which was successfully transplanted from the Chater Road ground.
Peter Hall, in his book '150 years of Cricket in Hong Kong' would add the names of Tony Clark and Graham Fletcher, for their own contributions to Hong Kong cricket, apart from their cricketing enthusiasm - Tony with the 'pen' and Graham with the 'camera'. Also Eddie Cunningham for his many years of dedicated service as the loyal Centaurs scorer. Many persons, too numerous to name, have also played their part in making the Centaurs a successful side, not only in results, but in the way the game was played. Geoff Fawcett, one of the earlier members of the Centaurs, remembers: All the team were genuine civil servants. Our attitude was very Gower-like. Once BGH (Bryan Hemshall) came on the scene, we were more Gooch-led, but with better results! But it was more fun before, and I think we set a better example of sportsmanship when we played the lads at DBS, KGV and later Island School.
This brief history would be short-changed without a reference to a Centaurs overseas social cricket excursion. The Centaurs have made periodic tours to Thailand, with matches culminating at the RBSC in Bangkok, for the Bailey-Morris Trophy (named after Alan Bailey, co-founder and one-time President of Centaurs, and Eric Morris, doyen of RBSC cricket). Prior to the 'big game', the Centaurs usually sampled Chiangmai hospitality in Northern Thailand. The Centaurs have always been a tough nut to crack, but a team who enjoyed the game of cricket.
Although the Centaurs do not have any direct affiliation with any Sunday League teams, many Centaurs greats such as Peter Olsen, Jim Hughes, Mike Duggan, Stewart Brew and Shane Sibraa have all represented the Hong Kong Cricket Club Optimists. Moreover current Centaurs-Optimists players include Paul Molloy and Jason Lui.