THE FASCINATING 183 year history of Preston Cricket Club is to be revealed later this summer in a new book.

The book, by local sports historian Andrew Atkinson, traces the founding of the club to be a decade earlier than was previously thought.

Andrew explained: "The club was believed to have been founded in about 1831, but archives have revealed the club actually begun in 1820.

"Former grounds include Penwortham Holme in 1833, which was an island, and players were taken by boat to play. The club provided a pair of oars for the purpose of rowing members to the ground!"

The book also details how, in July 1833, a scandal emerged from the match between Preston and Burnley, when it was learnt that Burnley had underhandedly approached the game - to win at any cost. The underhand tactics included the spiking of drinks, an early form of body-line bowling and match-fixing.

Andrew trawled the archives which showed how, after heavy bets had been placed on the game, Burnley players rigged the match by serving their Preston guests hard liquor the night before the match!

Preston's opening batsman, a Mr Kemp, was also subjected to vicious bowling when he was hit on the ankle three times, making him unable to run more than a single run at a time.

Andrew said the scandal came to light in an anonymous letter sent to the secretary of the Preston club the week before the game.

The letter reads: "Mr Secretary, I was sojourning for the night in the town of Burnley when I chanced upon a party who, I ascertained, were about to play a match at cricket with your club. From the conversation that ensued I beg that no-one at your club partake of any liquorsoffered to you on the eve of the match."

Alas for Preston his advice was not taken and Burnley won the match by 31 runs.

* The History of Preston Cricket Club (price £6) is available in August. To order send a cheque, payable to Lancashire Media, c/o Preston Cricket Club, West Cliff, Preston.

You can read more extracts from the book in next week's Citizen.