WHEN Wanstead and Snaresbrook Cricket Club was founded in 1866 it had only 15 members.

Now, almost 150 years later, the club has over 1,000 members and boasts an astonishing record of producing international players and professional stars.

The walls of the team’s clubhouse in Overton Drive, Wanstead, are filled with portraits of illustrious alumni, from Essex captain and England international JWHT Douglas in the early 20th century, to current Essex and England player James Foster.

Chris Hurd is the club’s treasurer.

He said: “The fact that so many players from the club’s past have gone on to play professionally really inspires current members.

“I think the sense of family and continuity at the club has always been very important. We currently have people here whose fathers and grandfathers were members of the club.”

The roll call of illustrious figures from the club’s past starts with JWHT Douglas, who started his career with Wanstead in the first decade of the 20th century and went on to captain Essex County Cricket Club and play for England.

Mr Hurd said: “He is certainly a well remembered player and his style of play earnt him the nickname Johnny Won’t Hit Today from the Australian public when touring there with the national side.”

“He was also a keen amateur boxer and there was controversy in the 1908 Olympics when he was awarded a gold medal by a judge who so-happened to be his father.”

Over the next few decades many players from the club went on to play for Essex, and in the 1960s former club members Barry Knight and Fred Rumsey won honours for England.

Mr Rumsey's sister is still a member of the club.

Although the club stresses continuity and tradition, there have also been great changes to the club in recent decades.

Mr Hurd said: “As schools have invested less in the game, clubs like ours have really taken up the slack and now work with 18 local schools to provide training facilities and have 350 junior members.

“It is a great benefit to us in many ways as a significant proportion of our team comes from the cub sides.”

The most recent of the club’s alumni to make a mark is James Foster, who plays for Essex and played in his first Test Match against India in 2001.

Mr Hurd said: “It was obvious from the beginning that he was an exceptional talent.

“He is still in close contact with the club, and we hope that the club’s past will continue to inspire the excellent players of the future.”