When people talk about cricket being the lifeblood of English towns, it can sound poetic, but our survey gives it real substance.
From postcard villages to historic county hubs, the top 100 rankings reveal not only where the sport thrives, but how it’s baked into different types of communities.
Here are some of our findings:
Key Findings:
The South has serious cricket clout.
Tunbridge Wells (Kent), Arundel (West Sussex), and Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire) all cracked the top five.
These towns combine picturesque settings with well-established club scenes – the kind of places where matchday is woven into the weekend ritual.
Yorkshire shows depth, not just prestige.
Harrogate lands at #2, and smaller market towns like Ripon (#43) and Whitby (#11) also cut – proof that Yorkshire’s cricketing DNA runs from major cities out to its windswept edges.
Coastal charm counts.
From Whitstable (#57) to Sidmouth (#61) and Bamburgh (#98), seaside towns show up repeatedly.
It seems the rhythm of waves and willow is a natural pairing, especially in spots where spectators can swap innings for ice cream between overs.
Historic towns punch above their weight.
Stratford-upon-Avon (#7), Richmond (#6), and Cirencester (#9) show that heritage doesn’t just live in buildings – it lives on the green.
Cricket in these places feels like a nod to tradition, with a dash of theatre.
Several Isle of Wight towns sneak in.
Ryde (#92), Shanklin (#93), and Ventnor (#91) all appear in the top 100 – not necessarily expected, but it suggests a surprisingly strong cricket culture for an island better known for sailing and sand.
London’s leafy edges do well.
Dulwich (#17), Teddington (#14), and Northwood (#21) show that cricket still thrives in the suburban pockets where the capital softens into greenery.
These are places with clubs that are as old as the streets they sit on.
There’s a northern backbone to the list.
Chester-le-Street (#5), Kendal (#10), and Ilkley (#31) suggest that while the south may host more idyllic scenes, the north brings muscle, tradition, and a fanbase that’s as loyal as they come, whatever the weather.
The Cotswolds and market towns dominate the middle.
Marlborough (#20), Uppingham (#26), and St Austell (#27) make strong mid-table appearances.
These are towns where you can picture cricket happening as naturally as the local pub quiz or Sunday roast.
Some inclusions hint at lifestyle envy.
Places like Lymington (#36) or Alnwick (#40) don’t just rank for cricket – they rank for liveability.
It suggests that towns which offer a slower pace and a strong sense of community tend to nurture a healthy club cricket scene, too.
Heritage clubs go hand-in-hand with civic pride.
Several top-30 towns – Bishop’s Stortford, Buxton, and Malvern – are home to clubs with roots going back to the 1800s. The club isn’t just a team; it’s part of the town’s identity.
Final Thoughts
What makes a town “crickety” isn’t just the ground or the team’s success – it’s the feeling that cricket belongs there.
Those matches aren’t just events, but expected. That the sport is part of the rhythm of a place.
These rankings highlight more than fanfare or first-class fixtures – they capture the quiet, enduring heartbeat of English leisure life.
Methodology
Online panel survey of 3,024 respondents based on age, gender, and geography. Internal data sources are used to obtain population data sets. We used a two-step process to ensure representativeness through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting.
Respondents are carefully chosen from a geographically representative online panel of double opt-in members. This selection is further tailored to meet the precise criteria required for each unique survey. Throughout the survey, we design questions to carefully screen and authenticate respondents, guaranteeing the alignment of the survey with the ideal participants.
To ensure the integrity of our data collection, we employ an array of data quality methods. Alongside conventional measures like digital fingerprinting, bot checks, geo-verification, and speeding detection, etc. each response undergoes a thorough review by a dedicated team member to ensure quality and contextual accuracy. Our commitment extends to open-ended responses, subjecting them to scrutiny for gibberish answers and plagiarism detection.
