Hollywood Cricket Club

Hollywood Cricket Club was founded in 1932 by Sir C. Aubrey "Round the Corner" Smith. Club's By-Laws were passed by the committee on January 20, 1932 and were approved on February 18, 1932.

Brief History of Sir Aubrey Smith.

Sir Aubrey Smith was born July 21, 1863 in St. Stephen's Hospital. As time went by he became serious soccer player, but his real desire was to play cricket.

Sir Aubrey Smith, an opening brisk fast-medium bowler, played for Charterhouse, Cambridge, Sussex and England. He debut in 1882 for Sussex County Cricket Club and was Captain in 1887, 1888, and 1890. He also was the Captain of two England Touring Sides (to Australia and South Africa). As a finale, Sir Aubrey named his house at 2881 Coldwater Canyon Drive, near the junction with Mulholland Drive, "The Round Corner."

Created a C.B.E in 1938 at Buckingham Palace, he went there again in 1944 to receive a knighthood from the King. Sir Charles Aubrey Smith, famous cricketer and film actor died in Beverly Hills on December 20th, 1948.

He will always be remembered by Hollywood Cricket Club.

A great moment for international ‘cricket you can believe in’ was held at the Village Green, Woodley, Los Angeles over the weekend where Credo Cricketer’s, The Rev and the traveling Custard, joined the Compton ‘Homies and Popz’ Cricket Team in a match against Beverly Hills/Hollywood Cricket Club.

Compton is a neighborhood in South Central LA with a reputation for gangs, violence and disadvantage. The Cricket Team was started when the teams patriarch and icon, Ted Hayes, an African American, Republican voting, Jewish, homelessness activist was introduced to cricket by British film producer Katy Haber. Ted resonated with the ‘Spirit of Cricket ‘which he saw as being significantly different to the showy, ‘Me first’ culture of American sport and its mean streets.

With the Hollywood connection it was the Beverly Hills team, made up of ex-pat Englishmen that first taught Ted and the boys how to play. Today however, it was time for the apprentices to become the masters. Compton bowled and fielded well, amongst the trees and undulations of the aptly named ‘Village Green’ to restrict Beverly Hills to 9/134 off 25 overs with America’s version of the Warne/Magill leg spin combination, Ted Hayes (3 for) and The Rev (2 for) proving a handfull.

In response, Compton born and bred, Ricardo starred with the bat with a 50 made up of orthodox forward defense and blistering baseball style swats which peppered the legside boundary. The Rev made 18 and Custard brought the team home with 28 not out. 4/135 with 5 overs to spare.

At the conclusion of the game Marcus Curnow, spoke about the story of Urban Seed’s Credo Cricket with disadvantaged people in Melbourne and the recent Laneway Cricket matches held in response to street violence against Indian students. He handed out Australian team training shirts, and, whilst being heckled by the defeated Beverly Hills Englishmen, recommended the ‘Homies’ wear the shirts for the remainder of the day as the Ashes would be lost by morning! Luckily Ted Hayes received a Victorian Bushrangers 20/20 shirt for whom the Compton ‘Homies and Popz’ will be ‘rootin’in the upcoming Champions league in recognition of Cricket Victoria’s ongoing support for ‘very believable cricket’.

Meet the Players

Ahmed Butt
You heard of the one where the boy wants to be a king. Well here we have a very good middle order batsman, who really wants to be a bowler. Aspirations of Shoaib Akhter, there is an ongoing bet that Ahmed will not take a single wicket this season...

Arvind Vanthasavi
He batted unbelievably well once, but think the rough and tumble world of LDHCC was just too much, so he does nt respond any more.

Asim Bilwani
Another one of our flambouyant openers, its just a pity that he possibly gives the most mis-informed, terrible intel ever. From getting the ground directions wrong, to high certainty but completely misguided views on the strengths of the batsman, he is truly a product of Investment Banking

Hassan Mohammad
The british rude boy, one gets the sense he would really prefer to get stuck into a big team fight with the opposition or our team, than participate in this genteel game. He can bat (I think)

Imran Shah
Certainly the tallest member of the squad, Imran has a very languid presence about himself. A dynamic opening batsman, likes nothing better than rolling a Rizla in the outfield and genuinely encouraging rival batsman.

Kanik Arora
Definitely a tradion buster, our fast bowler disdains the white kit for a multi colour uniform straight from the IPL, as well as famously at one stage removing his pads while batting in one game to free himself for a few big hits. He was bowled next ball.

Kany Bengali
Allegedly a Bangladesh U-19 player, but we are nt really sure, since the floods washed away the Bangladesh cricket academy in '08.

Karan Abbot
More bollywood than hollywood, he is Facebook friends with everyone who has played with or against us. After the mother of all battles with the captain, he was finally allowed a ball in the first match and promptly took two wickets in his first over.

Kashif Sheikh
Every organisation, building, country is built around one entity, in the case of LDHCC, its Kashif. He keeps wicket when we need him to, bowls fast and is leading the race for highest run scorer this season. Kashif is there to win it, the other 10 generate the noise.

Mirnal Jalan
Our chereubic leg spinner, who belies his appearance with some sharp fielding from cover as well as being a solid middle order batsman. Visibly discomforted by the blustery English weather…

Nicholas Khan Roper
The real pin up idol in a team full of Hollywood wannabes. Starting his bowling career 16 years later, he s continued his love affair with the red cherry, never straying from that off stump line. Leading wicket taker and is comfortable at Number 11.

Omar Sheikh
Part 1 of the famous "Shake" brothers. Generates a mean pace from a short run up and capable of the mean bouncer as well. A very solid batsman in a flambouyant top order.

Raj Daryanani
Every team needs the wily, grizzly old pro, who has been there and done that for a good decade. Raj is our man, knows every ground south of the Midlands, bowls fast and furious and when he bats, he tees it up and launches into the stratosphere. Keeps as well.

Rehan Latif
Great Captain likes to think of himself as the poor man's version of Gary Sobers. Left handed, bowls spin, a little medium, bats anywhere, keeps (badly). The fact that all of them are done with little success is beside the point. It would be fairer to say the fact that Rehan has ADD is why he tries to do everything, if he was nt so focused on trying to place the fielders, he would probably wander off every 5 minutes.

Roopak Radia
His one innings was a revelation and sensationally he was the first (and maybe last?) person to take a catch at slip for us.

Rushi Luhar
The scholastic right arm seamer with a competitive streak. Reads the game well as expected from the Morgan Stanley Indoor Captain and dependable lower order batsman, a complete team player.

Samir Dada
The sensitive fast bowler, nifty pace, but like any well groomed prima donna handle with care. Threatens to walk off the field atleast twice every innings. And on an aside, the most bearish equity trader you are ever likely to meet....

Zain Latif
The second of the second pair of brothers, he only adds to the feeling of relaxed languidness that LDHCC display on the field, hands folded no doubt thought drifting to concerns that would typically pre-occupy Investment Banking Directors in this day and age. Scorer of our first 50.