A ‘wicket’ time at Holm Field

One of the most famous cricket pitches in Ireland was born out of a county town patronage over 160 years ago.

Holms Field, within the Willows of Sion Mills holds a century-and-a-half long legacy of local cricket, which was at one stage played host to an international test.

Sion Mills Cricket Club was first founded in 1864 under the aspiring ambitions of the Herdman Family, a staple in the villages’ history.

One of the most memorable sporting instances at Holm Field was when it achieved legendary status in the Irish cricket community in June of 1969, when the unassuming pitch was chosen as the venue for Ireland’s famous win over the West Indies.

The West Indies were on tour in England and between the test matches they were scheduled to play Ireland. After drawing in London, they travelled straight to Donegal before playing in Sion, giving them no time to inspect their next arena.

During the night, as is the way in the North, there was heavy rain and the wicket had not been sheltered. The West Indies were not used to these Irish conditions and within the first 60 minutes the visitors were bowled out by 25 runs. The Irish team was led by Doug Goodwin, who alone managed to score 19 runs for one wicket before the first interval.

The West Indies team, led by Basil Butcher, were down five of their best players, who were left in London for their next English game.

Due to the massive turnout of 2,000 spectators, both of the captains agreed to continue the game, regardless of the score. After the first interval, Ireland scored another seven runs which meant they had won, but continued to play until they had reached 125 for eight when they declared victory.

The Herdman Family, known for their goodwill, gave all 700 employees at the mill the day off to watch the match.

However, in 2013 the club very nearly met it’s end after contested negotiations almost saw the cricketers locked out of the pitch.

The Holm Field was later bought by Donegal businessman Karol McElhinney, who wanted to meet with the club around arranging a new lease. However the club refused to support McElhinney’s plan to build a controversial anaerobic digestion plan in exchange of agreeing the new lease.

However after time an agreement was met between the club and McElhinney and the Sion went on to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

In May of 2018 members of the cricket club were shocked to find their premises vandalised, burgled and set on fire by intruders, who gained entry through a back window. This attack struck a blow to the cricket club, who admitted they were facing financial difficulty at the time.

The club was targeted yet again over a year later when vandals ag set the club alight in broad daylight, completely gutting the facility.

Yet today the cricket club, after renovations, is still going strong, adding more years to its already rich history.

Just two years ago Sion Mills Cricket Club was awarded for their double success in the North West Cricket league 2.

This win echoed the successes of the previous century and the club’s determination to work through adversity, whether that be arson or commercial difficulties, to retains its local legacy.