Welcome to the Mandarins Cricket Club

We are a wandering side that is based around the London area. The name of the club stems from the fact that many of our members are civil servants, who are known as the "Mandarins of Whitehall". The club was founded in 1964 and the words of our President (Lord Butler of Brockwell) to mark our 30th anniversary remain an eloquent description of the essence of the club.

"The secret has been, I think, a sense of humour. All who enjoyed the game in the spirit in which the Mandarins played it have been welcome to play, whether their potential contribution is great or small; and, cricket being what it is, everyone has their moment, when their catch, however fluky, or their deflection through the slips, however unintentional, makes the difference between defeat and victory. There have been many moments to treasure in the memory and, for as long as the Mandarins continue, there will be many more. May that be at least another 30 years."

Robin Butler, 1994