The Glen Iris Cricket was formed following the 2001/02 season with a merger between the Glen Iris Cricket Club, based at Eric Raven Reserve and Glen Iris United Cricket Club, based at TH King Reserve. The club entered their first teams as a merged entity at the beginning of the 2002/03 season.
The original entities both share long and successful histories in their own rights.
The original Glen Iris Cricket Club was founded following a meeting in a local Glen Iris church hall to establish a cricket club in the area. Spearheaded by Frank Green and Alex Pinkerton the newly formed club entered one matting team into the Eastern Suburbs Cricket Association in the 1924/25 season. At the end of that season, the club moved competitions, to compete in the Caulfield – Moorabbin Cricket Association (later known as the Caulfield District Cricket Association), where it remained until rejoining the E.S.C.A for the 1954/55 season.
By 1930/31 the club was fielding five senior teams but had to reduce this number to four for the following season. It was during the late 1930’s that future Australian Test opener Colin McDonald played for the club as a youngster.. It was also during this time (1926) that Harold Dumsday (architect) drew up plans for a pavilion to be erected West on Gardiners Creek. Ralph Dumsday (builder) took the club volunteers in hand and completed the pavilion that was to house the cricket and football clubs at Eric Raven Reserve. In approximately 1965, a replacement pavilion was built at the southern end of the ground and ultimately was replaced for the 2011/12 season with the Pavilion the club is currently housed in. The original timber building was removed in 1983.
By the 1948/49 season the club was down to two senior teams. With neighbouring East Malvern Cricket Club in a similar position, the clubs merged to become Glen Iris – East Malvern for the 1949/50 season, to bolster player numbers. However, the club was looking to switch to turf for the 1954/55 season and re-entered the E.S.C.A on this basis, after securing turf facilities at Eric Raven Reserve. The following season,, the name of the club reverted back to the Glen Iris Cricket Club for the 1955/56 season. Once back in the E.S.C.A., the 1st XI finally broke through in 1957/58 for the club’s first premiership by defeating Ringwood.
In 1958/59 the club introduced a junior XI, which continued until the 1974/75 season. Juniors were then re-introduced between 1982/83 and 1986/87 before lapsing once more but were re-established in 1994/95 and continue strongly to this day.
As for, Glen Iris United, in 1936 Ian Nicholls, Leader of Junior Boys Bible Class, tried to form a cricket club but lack of finance and poor organisation prevented the new club getting off the ground. Ian left the district and J.R Faichney became the new Bible Class Leader and in early in 1937, he asked Ernie Miller and Glenan Thomas, both members of the disbanded Senior Bible Class, to assist in getting the new club established. They both resigned from the Glen Iris Cricket Club at the end of the 1936/37 season to establish the new club known as Glen Iris Presbyterian Church Cricket Club.
After some fund-raising to support the new venture, a team was entered in the 4th grade of the South Suburban Churches Cricket Association. Unfortunately, no ground was available. Representation was made to Councillor Dave Watson for an extra pitch to be laid in park land between the creek and Cove & Kitts Timber Mill. The council agreed subject to certain conditions, hence the pitch was not ready for the opening match. A dirt pitch in Lloyds Paddock, near Bridges St, made by the Bible Class students, was where the first home matches were played
It would seem that the club alternated between Dorothy Laver East (Saxby Rd) and the park land between the creek and Cove & Kitts Timber Mill until the mid to late 1950’s. A move was then made to T.H King to share the 2 concrete wickets with St James’ Glen Iris. In subsequent seasons, as the number of teams grew and additional grounds were used, namely: Darling Park, Stanley Grose, Caulfield Park, Central Park & Anderson Park.
In 1962/63, the Club then entered a second team & an U/15 team, being the first junior team the club had entered into competition and in 1967/68, U/12 and U/14 teams were added.
In 1977/78, after the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia in June 1977, when many Methodist, Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches merged, the Club name was changed from Glen Iris Presbyterian to Glen Iris Uniting as the Glen Iris Methodist Church (originally known as Glen Iris Wesleyan Church) and Glen Iris Presbyterian Church came together in 1978 to be known as the Glen Iris Uniting Church.
In 1983/84, the club left the South Suburban Churches Cricket Association (S.S.C.C.A) and joined the East Suburban Churches’ & District Cricket Association (E.S.C.D.C.A) and 1996/97, changed their name from Glen Iris Uniting to Glen Iris United Cricket Club. The club then joined the Eastern Cricket Association after the merger between the E.S.C.D.C.A and E.S.C.A in 1999/2000.
