The Wodehouse Society Cricket Club

A Brief History

While attending the TWS Chicago convention in October 1997, a group of Wodehouseans met in a small park in downtown Chicago to experience the wonders of cricket. When the cricket match had first been proposed on the newsgroup alt.fan.wodehouse, the vast majority of us (possessing less than fond memories of our attempts at athletic competition in our school days) had responded "Oh, splendid! I can't wait to watch you all play!" because we knew that if we attempted to participate we would only make asses of ourselves and get in everyone else's way. However, once upon the pitch, we were instantly caught up in the excitement, enthusiasm and support of our fellow Plummies. Soon we were all cheering each other on as we collectively absorbed the fundamentals of the great game. The memory of our surprise and joy at being encouraged and applauded in spite of our awkwardness makes that wonderful afternoon live on in legend and song for the lucky few who were there.

In an effort to ensure that the all-welcoming atmosphere of the cricket match in Chicago would be retained in future matches, we formed The Wodehouse Society Cricket Club (TWSCC) and drafted some laws to ensure that the unique spirit of Wodehousean comaraderie would never be sacrificed in the name of competition. The TWS Houston convention organizers graciously included the cricket match in their 1999 program and since then the Friday morning friendly cricket match has become a Convention tradition.

The TWSCC formed a self-appointed, three-member Rules Committee to support this informal club and provide assistance to TWS convention organizers. This committee is composed of Jean 'Pighooey' Tillson, Alekh 'Gussie' Bhurke and Shamim 'Pongo' Mohamed.