✉️ info@winterthurcc.ch
Founding Member
Winterthur Cricket Club • Since 1982
Our Story
Built by people, carried by passion
More than four decades of cricket, community, resilience, and pride — a club shaped by its people and strengthened by every chapter along the way.
The Founding
How it all began
On a cold winter night towards the end of 1981, five cricket enthusiasts — Karl Walter, Fred Webb, Mike Shakeshaft, Martin Parker, and Max Hughes — sat down to discuss what most would have called an outlandish idea: a proper cricket club in Winterthur.
Cricket was already being played here, informally. Karl, Fred, and Mike would phone around and round up 20–25 players to turn up at Menzengrüt for England XI versus Rest of the World fixtures, two or three times a summer. The pitch wasn’t always flat. There weren’t always umpires. And a straight six would land in the swimming pool that marked the boundary at one end.
When the group discovered the Swiss Cricket Association, the path forward became clear: to compete officially, they would need a real club — with statutes, a committee, and a name. On 23rd March 1982, they gathered at Restaurant Brühleck. By the end of the meeting, the Winterthur Cricket Club was real.
Six weeks later, on 8th May 1982, WCC played its first official match — against Zuoz Old Boys at Brüttisellen. A new home ground was found at Deutweg. The Schweizergruss became the club’s stammbeiz. And what began as five friends and an outlandish idea became a club that has lived through four decades of cricket, friendship, and unforgettable moments.
Founded
23 March 1982
Restaurant Brühleck, Winterthur
First Match
8 May 1982
vs Zuoz Old Boys, Brüttisellen
The First Committee
President
Fred Webb
Vice President & Treasurer
Brian Bailey
Club Captain
Mike Shakeshaft
Secretary
Martin Parker
Fixtures Secretary
Karl Walter
Committee Member
Max Hughes
Equipment Officer
Steve Holmes
Behind each statistical figure there is a story.
— Karl Walter, Founding Member & Former Club President
The WCC Story in Moments
A heritage built over time
From humble beginnings in Winterthur to national honours and a proud club culture, the WCC story is best told through the moments that shaped it.
1982
Founded in Winterthur
WCC is founded at Rest. Brühleck and plays its first recorded match against Zuoz Old Boys at Brüttisellen. M. Shakeshaft and D. Williams put on 94 for the 6th wicket versus D. Rodrigo’s XI.
Club founded
First match
Brüttisellen
First partnership
1983
First AGM
WCC holds its first Annual General Meeting, putting the young club on a more structured footing.
First AGM
Club governance
1984
A new high score
WCC posts 77-7 versus Geneva — the club’s highest score in two years.
Highest score in 2 years
vs Geneva
1985
First championship victory
WCC scores 132-7 versus CERN to claim the club’s first ever championship victory — a defining moment in WCC history.
First championship
vs CERN
132-7
1986
A new fixture begins
WCC plays its first match against Farnborough (Sulzer), opening a long-running fixture in the club’s calendar.
First fixture
vs Farnborough
1987
D’Arcy’s bowling masterclass
T. D’Arcy almost bowls out Lausanne single-handedly with figures of 7-3-8-7 — one of the great individual bowling performances in club history.
7-3-8-7
vs Lausanne
Bowling feat
1988
K. Walter elected President
K. Walter is elected as the club’s President — a key moment in WCC’s leadership story.
New President
Club leadership
1989
First club century & a famous over
D. Williams hits the club’s first century (115 not out) versus Farnborough. T. D’Arcy takes 5 wickets — all clean bowled — in a single over versus Zug.
First club century
115 not out
5 in an over
1990
A. MacKay elected Club Secretary
A. MacKay takes on the role of Club Secretary, strengthening WCC’s organisational backbone.
New Secretary
Club governance
1991
A tough lesson
Alpine score 331-9 to beat WCC by 281 runs — the heaviest defeat in the club’s history.
Heaviest defeat
vs Alpine
1992
Bouncing back strongly
WCC plays 14 matches and wins 6 — a new club record at the time.
Comeback season
14 matches
New win record
1993
Record-breaking individuals
J. Budd scores 162 not out versus Munich and finishes the year with a record 527 runs in a season. T. D’Arcy takes a record 32 wickets in one season.
162 not out
527 runs in a season
32 wickets in a season
1994
A landmark season
C. Martyn hits 104 not out versus Zuoz to become WCC’s 3rd century maker. The club plays 20 matches, scoring 2,701 runs and taking 143 wickets.
3rd century maker
20 matches
2,701 runs
1995
Hat-trick & a bowler’s honour
A. MacKay (6-38 vs Farnborough) becomes the 2nd player to take a hat trick for WCC. T. D’Arcy wins the Best Bowler award for the 5th time.
Hat trick
6-38
Best Bowler 5×
1996
K. Walter’s final fifty
K. Walter hits 51 versus Mitie — his 4th and last half century for WCC.
Last half century
vs Mitie
1997
Online & on form
D. Williams scores 50 not out versus Alpine — his 20th half century for the club. WCC launches its website.
20th half century
Website launched
1998
Best season feeling
Only 5 games played, but three wins make it WCC’s best feeling season ever. D. Williams wins the Best Batsman award for the 9th time.
Best season feeling
3 wins from 5
Best Batsman 9×
1999
A tied match & wider exposure
WCC’s only tied match ends 150-150 versus Mitie. T. D’Arcy takes his 163rd wicket for the club versus Farnborough. WCC makes its first appearance at the Golden Duck tournament in Lodi.
First tied match
163rd wicket
Golden Duck Lodi
2000
Swiss Champions
WCC scores 304-5 versus Idle CC, with P. Swanepoel hitting 160 not out. R. Wade and J. O’Connor put on a record 144 opening partnership. WCC then beats Bern by 93 runs to become SWISS CHAMPIONS.
Swiss Champions
304-5
160 not out
Record 144 opening stand
2001
Competitive edge
A. Sharma becomes WCC’s 4th player to hit a century (108 not out versus Farnborough). WCC narrowly loses both the Zuoz Festival Final (131-4, by 27 runs to Munich) and the Swiss Championship semi-final (140 all out, by 12 runs to Bern).
4th century maker
108 not out
Zuoz Festival Final
Swiss semi-final
2002
20th Anniversary
WCC celebrates its 20th Anniversary — two decades of cricket, friendship, and growth in Winterthur.
20th Anniversary
Two decades of WCC
2002
Swiss Champions again
WCC adds a second Swiss Championship title, confirming the club’s place among Switzerland’s elite — a fitting achievement in its 20th anniversary year.
Swiss Champions
Second national title
Anniversary-year glory
2012
T20 success arrives
WCC wins the Mr. Pickwick T20 Cup, showing the club’s strength across formats and eras.
Short-format strength
Adapting with the game
2015
First Zuoz Cup in 17 years!
After 17 years of taking part, WCC finally claims the Zuoz Cricket Festival title — a long-awaited reward for years of dedication to one of Switzerland’s most beloved cricket weekends.
First Zuoz title
17-year wait
Festival glory
2017
The fire that tested the club
A fire destroys storage facilities, equipment, trophies, and historical archives — a painful loss of both resources and memories.
Equipment lost
Archives destroyed
Members rebuilt together
2021
A new league landscape
Swiss cricket restructures into multiple tiers, with WCC competing in the National League, the country’s second-highest level.
League restructure
National League
2025
Still rising
WCC wins another national title, proving that the club’s standards, spirit, and ambition still stand strong decades on.
National title
Modern-era success
Heritage with momentum
Today
A club with heart
WCC remains one of Switzerland’s most respected clubs — diverse, welcoming, competitive, and proud of where it comes from.
Community-led
Multicultural club
Built for the future
What Defines WCC
More than results alone
WCC’s identity has always rested on more than trophies. The club is shaped by standards on the field, warmth off it, and a culture that keeps people coming back.
Competitive pedigree
National titles, cup wins, and decades of consistent presence in Swiss cricket.
Community spirit
A welcoming club culture built through friendships, shared effort, and social life beyond the boundary.
Resilience
WCC has taken setbacks in stride and kept moving forward with purpose and unity.
Future-minded
From youth pathways to long-term growth, the club continues to invest in what comes next.
People Behind the Badge
The people behind the badge
The story of WCC lives in its people — founders, captains, players, organisers, and long-serving club figures who gave the club its character and strength.
The Story Continues
Rooted in heritage, moving forward
From humble beginnings in 1982 to its place today among Switzerland’s leading cricket clubs, Winterthur Cricket Club has grown through commitment, character, and community.
Its history is real, its culture is lived, and its next chapter is still being written.