Scarborough Cricket Club was formed in 1849 with the first match being played against Filey on rough ground opposite the Queen Hotel on North Marine Road. As the club developed, it played important matches at Castle Hill on ground prepared by the Army for the local Rifle Volunteers. As the practice of the riflemen was often in conflict with matches, the club was forced to develop its own ground on North Marine Road. In 1862 a match was organised between a Scarborough Twenty (players) and an All England XI at Castle Hill. This drew large crowds and subsequently became an annual event. Once the club had reached this standard, more formal organisation and finances were required, and the club was reconstituted in 1863. In August 1868 Scarborough played the touring Australian Aboriginals team. They were the first organised sporting team to travel overseas from Australia. The Aboriginals won by 10 wickets. International sporting contact was rare in this era.
Yorkshire first played at the North Marine Road ground in 1878 when the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) beat them by 7 wickets, the fixture contributing towards the development of an annual cricket festival. The first County Championship game was held here in 1896 with Yorkshire beating Leicestershire by 162 runs. Scarborough remains as the only regular county cricket venue in Yorkshire other than Headingley in Leeds. Its Cricket Festival is an end of season series of matches featuring Yorkshire County Cricket Club and various county, touring and invitational teams. Many of the world’s greatest cricketers have played in matches over the years. Dr W. G. Grace, the most influential and popular figure in Victorian cricket made his first appearance at Scarborough in 1870, playing for the United South XI. In 1925, Yorkshire’s Sir Len Hutton hit 241. The highest innings in its history was by Ken Rutherford, the former New Zealand captain, hitting 317 in a day for the New Zealand tourists in 1986.
The North Marine Road ground has staged two Men’s One Day International matches. When England played the West Indies in 1976, the tourists won by 6 wickets with Sir Vivian Richards scoring 119 not out. Against New Zealand in 1978 England won by 19 runs with Graham Gooch scoring 94 runs. The ground hosted England Women’s first of a two test match series against Australian Women in June 1951, ending in a draw. In August 2004, Scarborough hosted the only women’s test match between England and a touring New Zealand team. This match was a draw with Charlotte Edwards scoring 117. Two Women’s One Day Internationals have also been held.
Scarborough Cricket Club has an unsurpassed record of being 5 times winners of the English Cricket Board National Cricket Club Championship. Scarborough Cricket Club won the National Knock Out competition in 1972 and the Haig Trophy in 1976, 1979, 1981 and 1982.
