22/09/2026
The Fight to Save the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground
In the autumn of 1989, some very dark clouds began to gather over Rushwick Cricket Club and the wider village of Rushwick.
The cause of the concern was the long-awaited proposal for a Western By-Pass for the west side of Worcester. After many years of discussion and planning, Herefordshire and Worcestershire County Council’s highway planners had put forward three proposed routes for consideration.
For Rushwick Cricket Club and the residents of the village, one of those proposals was particularly alarming.
Route 2 would have taken the proposed By-Pass directly through the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground, Rushwick Cricket Club’s much-loved home on Upper Wick Lane. The proposed route would also have brought the road extremely close to Rushwick Primary School and Christine Avenue, potentially having a major impact on the village and the surrounding community.
For a village with such a strong sense of community, this was a very serious threat.
Thankfully, Rushwick Cricket Club, the residents of Rushwick, Rushwick Parish Council and the Malvern Hills District Councillor for Rushwick, Mr Gerald Jordan, came together to oppose the proposed Route 2.
An Action Group was formed: ‘The Rushwick Action Group’ - spearheaded by Mr Dave Bryant, a Rushwick resident, and in later years President of Rushwick Cricket Club. The campaign brought together residents from across the village and members of the Cricket Club, who were determined to protect their community and the places that mattered to them.
At a time when there was no social media to organise campaigns, spread information or rally support, opposition relied on very different methods. Letters, meetings, local organisations and the pages of the local newspaper were vital in making the community’s views heard.
A number of letters of opposition to Route 2 were published in the Worcester Evening News, demonstrating the strength of feeling within the local community.
These letters provide an interesting snapshot of the campaign and voices of opposition were heard more than three decades ago. They also serve as an important piece of Rushwick’s social history, showing the determination of RCC members and local people to protect their village and the Cricket Club’s historic ground.
The original plans showing the three proposed routes for the Western By-Pass also help to illustrate just how significant the threat was to Rushwick Cricket Club and the surrounding community.
Thankfully, after considerable opposition and representations from the local community, sense ultimately prevailed. The County highway planners listened to the concerns of the residents of Rushwick and Rushwick Cricket Club; and the route that would have passed through the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground was not chosen.
The Western By-Pass was eventually constructed along a different route (between Route one and two) and is now known as Hams Way.
A Significant Chapter in Rushwick Cricket Club’s History
Today, it is easy to drive along Hams Way without giving much thought to the history behind its planning. However, for those who lived in Rushwick and those who played Cricket at The ATMG in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the proposed By-Pass was a very real concern.
Had Route 2 been chosen, the landscape of Rushwick Cricket Club could have been changed forever, with the Alf Tolley Memorial Ground potentially lost to the By-Pass.
The successful campaign is therefore an important part of the history of Rushwick Cricket Club and the village itself. It demonstrates what can be achieved when a community comes together with a common purpose.
As Rushwick Cricket Club looks towards its Centenary year in 2027, these original newspaper letters and the plans for the proposed routes provide a fascinating reminder of another important chapter in the Club’s history — and of the people who stood together to protect its home.
The Alf Tolley Memorial Ground remains at the heart of Rushwick Cricket Club today, a lasting reminder of the community spirit and determination that helped to save it.
