HISTORY
Benfleet Cricket Club was founded in early 1948, playing its first season that year, although a Cricket Club representing Benfleet certainly existed in the 19th Century. The Chelmsford Chronicles of 1816 reported Billericay playing (and unfortunately beating!) Benfleet.
The club remained a small, relatively unambiguous, though friendly one until it's move to Woodside Park in 1971, when it decided to expand to having two Saturday and two Sunday sides in order to ensure sole tenancy of our new ground. In the 33 years since our move, progress has been remarkable.
Benfleet became members of the Essex Senior League in 1973 prior to the "breakaway", rapidly working our way up the league structure, and considerable success in the Lillywhite Frowd League led to the election into the Morrant Essex League for the 1984 season. Our record in the Morrant League was a good one - From 1994 we have played in the Colour Assembly League, which is known now as the Shepherd & Neame Essex League. We now regularly field four senior sides on a Saturday and are aiming for three senior sides on a Sunday. We are proud of our progressive youth policy, which involves regular indoor training during the winter. We run Under 11s, 13s, 15s & 16s. Many colts have graduated successfully to senior level, and in some cases, beyond to higher levels, most notably, Ian Redpath who reached our 1st XI before gaining contracts at Essex and Derbyshire. Many others have represented the County at colts level over the years.
As well as it's playing membership; we have a large number of social members who regularly use the excellent facilities of the club. We also have darts, bowls, whist and solo’s sections. The clubhouse, owned by the club and originally built by members in 1973/74, has been extended and improved over the years. It is now a fine two storey building with bars and lounges, a balcony overlooking the main square, a patio area and a well-appointed scorebox. There are two excellent squares at Woodside. The 1st and 2nd XI square is the largest with 17 strips whilst the 3rd & 4th XI is slightly smaller.