Next week's Reigate Priory cricket week celebrates 140 years since it was first introduced in 1879. The photo shows a cricket week group in front of the new pavilion in the early 1880s. It is now the Football pavilion.

The first cricket week ran for 6 days from July 14th to the 19th 1879. With a few minor gaps it has been running pretty much every year since.

The week featured 3 matches played against the MCC, Surrey County Cricket Club and Eastbourne and each match was over 2 innings and of 2 days duration. Priory lost to MCC by 4 wickets, beat Surrey CCC by 18 runs and beat Eastbourne by an innings and 43 runs.

The local Dramatic Society gave two performances during the week and the annual Dinner was held after the Surrey match.

The MCC match has been a regular feature ever since and one can't help feeling that the Sunbury Squires and the Mogador wanderers have a lot to live up this coming week.