Caton Cricket Club

Caton included many players from Lancaster but the gentlemen of Caton mainly supported the club.

In 1864 Caton (78 and 68) entertained Long Preston (41 and 62), two days later they lost to Settle by 11 runs. In September 1865 Caton (26 and 86) defeated a newly formed Lancaster (23 and 36).

After the end of World War II a meeting decided that a new club be formed and this came into effect on 24th March 1947 when the club undertook friendly matches before making application to join the Lancaster and District Cricket League’s Division 2 in March 1948.

The club thrived due to a hectic winter social programme with regular Whist Drives and Dances; membership fees were five shillings with juniors paying half, teas cost the equivalent of four pence. The club used a coach to travel to matches funded by member’s efforts.

Efforts were made to form a non-playing selection committee in order to cut out bickering and another crisis emerged in 1961 when its existence was put into doubt, in fact only one member turned up to the 1962 annual meeting, another meeting was called.

In 1968 the club were ordered off their ground, a farmer’s field and had to find another playing venue, it was then that the club moved to the present ground at the Station Hotel. Things were on the up and in the same year a 2nd XI was formed. The teams achieved much success the Lancaster league until 1974 when they gained entry to the Palace Shield.

Caton’s success continued and in their first season Caton won the Division B championship. Following relegation Caton found themselves back in Division A when they finished runners-up in 1984.