Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club are national champions after 144 years

Team photo celebrating the win in front of the pavilion

On Sunday 13 September, the club’s first XI beat Yorkshire side New Farnley by five wickets at Wormsley to win the ECB Rothesay National Club Championship

It was a suitably dramatic afternoon: rain reduced the chase to 106 from 15 overs before Adam Chislett hit the winning runs with three balls to spare.

But the result wasn’t the only thing that made the day special. Around 250 supporters made the journey to Wormsley as the ‘Bush Army’ turned the final into a very local occasion, complete with drums, flags, banners and plenty of noise.

The club, based on Bromyard Avenue in Acton, has a long history as a community cricket club, with men’s, women’s and junior sections. And the achievement has already taken the Bush well beyond west London, with the new national champions featuring on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Test Match Special the following day.

Below, the club’s chair reflects on an extraordinary few weeks, a final that kept everyone’s blood pressure suitably high, and why, after 144 years, Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club can finally call themselves national champions.

Guest blog by Will Speer, local resident and Chair of Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club

As a local resident, there are certain sentences I never particularly expected to write.“Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club are national champions” is definitely one of them. But on Sunday 13 September, at the beautiful Wormsley ground, that’s exactly what happened.

The ‘Bush Army’ on the grass terraces

After 144 years, the Bush won the ECB National Club Championship – the biggest prize in English amateur cricket. The final against New Farnley from Yorkshire was rain-affected, tense and, for those of us watching, an excellent reminder that cricket can be an extremely inefficient way of keeping your blood pressure down.

Fortunately, the players were rather calmer. A revised target of 106 from 15 overs was successfully chased, with Adam Chislett hitting the winning runs in the final over – the third time he’d done so during our cup run – what a hero!

Adam Chislett receiving the player of the match award and earlier on with ball in hand

What made the day particularly special, though, was the support. Many players, former players, juniors, parents, volunteers, friends and families had already followed the team around the country and turned up in force for the final – around 250 of the ‘Bush Army’ cheering the boys on.

Drums, horns, flags, capes, banners, temporary (I think!) tattoos and so much cheering helped make the difference. And that’s really what a community cricket club is about. Shepherd’s Bush CC sits in the heart of west London and, despite the name, is probably closer to many Chiswick residents than they realise.

Chair Will Speer with his daughters Maggie and Poppy and more ‘Bush Army’ and their instruments

It’s a thriving club for men, women, boys and girls, but also simply a lovely place to spend a summer afternoon watching some extremely good cricket with a drink in hand. Winning a national championship isn’t something we’re expecting to happen every September – although expectations have admittedly now become rather inconvenient.

In the last few days we’ve had attention from BBC Radio Five Live, been talked about on Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad’s podcast and messages of congratulations from all corners of the globe. But we’re a very proud and local club. So, as we look ahead to the 2027 season, it would be wonderful to see more of our neighbours from Chiswick come along and discover the club.

Captain Fin Trenmouth receiving the trophy

You don’t need to understand every nuance of cricket. You don’t even need to particularly like cricket. Sunshine, a cold drink and occasionally looking towards the middle at the appropriate moment will get you surprisingly far.

And, after 144 years, we can all say our local club are national champions. Look out…we may mention that occasionally…along with our club motto “Up the Bush”.

Will Speer is a local resident and Chair of Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club