A large crowd made up of supporters from both clubs came together for a memorial match at Banstead last Friday.
The Twenty20 fixture commemorated 104 years exactly since Banstead 2nd team played their final match before several of their players were called up to the First World War. On that occasion, they played Redhill, a club which no longer exists. As Merstham now play many matches at The Ring on Earlswood Common, the then home of Redhill where the match was played, Merstham were invited to take part. Before the game, both teams lined up for a short service to commemorate the men. The names of 14 Banstead cricketers who served and died in the war were read out, along with five from the Merstham and Redhill clubs. A commemorative booklet called Banstead Cricket Club in the Great War, detailing the home team's servicemen, was available, having been painstakingly produced by James Crouch Banstead History Research Group. A follow-up is intended, featuring further pictures and revelations that were discovered on the night. Further details of all the men from Banstead can be found on the cricket club's website. In the 1914 fixtures, Redhill won by 70 runs. In the 2018 match, Banstead won five wickets and the details can be found on PlayCricket.
