Latex, it was stated that if practicable the Committee would introduce slay pigeon shooting which would e sportsmen an opportunity of good practice before the up-country shooting season commences*, The ground which they took pver, and still occupy, was first tenanted by the Shanghai Base Ball Club as far back as 1863 and then by the Shanghai Athletic Club who took possession in 1885, both of which institutions appear to have closed on account of financial difficulties.
A one-storied, wooden pavilion was erected in 1893. By 1909 this had deteriorated to such an extent that repairs were not considered worth while. A new structure was put up, that existing today, which was opened by Mr. Geo. Lanning, father of the Shanghai Public School, on July 23, 1910, when a cricket match was played between the Recs and the on each side were marked absent' in the first innings but put in an appearance in the second, both making identical scores of 4 which was practically the highest individua: effort of the afternoon, The afternoon finished with a victory for Mr. Crawford's eleven' of 107 runs to 98.
From then onwards Club games were played more or less weekly, the number of men on a side ranging from eleven to eighteen, Rarely did the number of players on each side coincide. One game was 'An XI v. The Rest'. the 'Rest' consisting of seventeen men! Other matches were 'Giants v. Dwarfs', 'A to K' v. 'L to Z', "Nanking Rani v. The Rest' and one, which sounds rather intriguing 'S.R.C. v. American Opera Company'.
The first game where the Club entertained took place on 18th August, the visitor coming from one of the ships in the harbour, the Peshawur. This resulted in an easy victory for the Recs, Crawford putting up the best show with am innings of 45 runs and taking 4 wickets for 5 runs.
it was not until September 22 of this opening year that the Recs first met the Shanghai Cricket Club, a veteran institution in comparison. Considerable local interest centred round the game which had been postponed from the previous week on account of the weather. The SC.C. were the hosts and cricket with music was the order of the day. It had been hoped to obtain the services of the band of the Austrian corvette Fasana but for some reason this was not possible and the Town Band enlivened. the proceedings. A large number of spectators saw the Recs put up a much better show than was generally anticipated, their score being 122 against the senior side's 177.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.