Thanks to the immaculate record keeping of scorer Tom Roberts, Cimla Cricket Club has a full record of its activities from day one so the Club's rise can be traced from its humble "Sunday School" beginnings when friendly fixtures were played often against other teams with religious links.

Cimla's first captain was R.T. Davies, a Schools Inspector, who during the Great War "was single handedly responsible for obtaining an organ for the troops on the Western Front" as the "Neath Guardian" newspaper succinctly put it. A true sportsman, Dick Davies played rugby for Neath before the Great War and became secretary of Neath Cricket Club whereto he helped attract County Cricket in 1934.

During the economic depression between the wars, religion remained a powerful influence on Welsh society and in the early 1930's there emerged a midweek Sunday School League in the Neath area and Cimla played a prominent role in it, winning the Sunday School Cup in 1934.

On pitches of often dubious quality, wickets were plentiful and runs less so but the individuals listed above may safely be regarded as the "founding fathers" of Cimla Cricket Club because they were the stalwarts who contributed most in a playing sense and many continued to give the Club excellent service later on in life as administrators.

Prime among them, of course, is Ernie Molland who heads all three tables and is a Cimla Legend in the truest sense. The next five in the appearance list, Johnny Bruce, Syd Evans, Harold Bevan, David Tucker and Edgar Evans, also served in off field roles. Mention must be made too of characters like Joe Bevan, Alderman John Davies, the talented musician Matthew W. Davies and Tom Roberts himself as they all helped guide the Club through its infancy.

The statistics embrace ALL games played by the Club between 1925 and 1940 (Saturdays and midweek, friendly and competitive) so comparisons are invidious. However, the influence of the above individuals in making Cimla Cricket Club what it is today is undeniable.

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