The Ashwood Cricket Club was formed in 1950 after Norm McArthur employed Neil Waller at his newsagency on Warrigal Rd, Ashburton East (Ashwood). These two cricket fans met with five other local businessmen, Reg Carter,  Joe Thomas, Dave Hillbrick, Norm White and Jack Gorman in McMenamin’s garage to form a cricket club. Neil Waller was elected President and Joe Thomas became the first Secretary.

The club played its first season in the Burwood & District competition, reaching the B-Grade grand final that year.  Buoyed by that start, the following season the committee transferred the matting club to the ESCA with almost immediate success.

In 1953/54 the club won its first premiership when the Firsts beat Alamein.

In 1966/67 Ashwood joined the turf section after securing headquarters at Essex Heights Reserve, on Huntingdale Rd, Mt Waverley.

In 1973/74 the Firsts, led by Hawthorn-East Melbourne legend Duncan Gates, won promotion to Senior Turf, the ESCA’s top grade.

That season, a confident youngster named Dean Jones joined the Ashwood Under-12s, rewriting the record books. “Deano” scored 412 runs at an average of 82.4, including two centuries, in his first year of cricket. Playing U14s in 1974/75 he scored 788 runs at 87 and took 40 wickets at 5.7, the highlight being an unbeaten 211 in the Grand Final. Jones’ amazing season elicited a response from the junior league’s administrators; from the following season compulsory retirements were introduced.

In 1976/77 a shy, 10-year-old beanpole named Paul Reiffel joined the Under-14s, Ashwood’s most junior team. In a short season, when he played three games for two innings (both ducks) and bowled one over for one run, he showed nothing of what was to follow. But next season the club introduced an Under-12 team and Reiffel came into his own, winning the batting and bowling trophies. Reiffel progressed through junior ranks, also playing several games in the club’s matting teams before graduating to turf in 1980/81. He showed enough in that time to be courted by several district clubs, eventually settling in at Richmond.

Ashwood has grown from one team in 1950/51 to seven senior and twelve junior teams, including two girls teams. Ashwood’s first senior ladies team will begin in the 2024/25 season.