A Comprehensive History of the Bay Area Beavers

The Bay Area Beavers are America's oldest active cricket club and were founded in 1861. The club was formed by an English farmer David Cornelius Wides and, having been around for over 150 years, it has a rich, unique history which the players today are proud to uphold.

'D.C.' as his friends affectionately called him, moved to the Bay Area at some point during the 1840's and pined for cricket after leaving the motherland. He would look out across his porch and down to the river that ran through his property, where he would see trees cut down by Beavers that resembled the stumps of the game he loved and missed so dearly.

Around 1859, Wides hired Miguel Extras. Extras was born in Mexico City and moved to Canada as a child where he learnt and grew to love the game of cricket before relocating to the Bay Area in 1858. This meeting reinvigorated Wides' passion for cricket and the two quickly bonded over their mutual love for the game.

With the gold rush coming to an end, there were many expats from cricketing nations in and around the Bay Area so Wides and Extras cobbled together a few teams and played what is believed to be the first game of cricket in San Francisco on a hot August day in 1861.

Team photo circa 1886, the kid in the front row was banned from playing again until he grew a moustache.

David Cornelius Wides takes guard circa 1873

It's unknown how many games the original side actually played, but we do have evidence both Wides and Extras were heavily involved in helping cricket gain a foothold in the Bay Area. Wides was a classically elegant top order batter, technically correct in every way, shape and form. Extras was regarded as the top bowler in the area.

Wides dubbed Extras' patented across the line slog as the 'California Cover Drive'.

Extras determined that any ball out of reach from the batter was too hard to hit and he dubbed these 'Wides' as a tribute to his dear friend D.C., who was a terrible bowler and struggled to keep it on the pitch.

Collectively, these additional runs became affectionately known as 'Extras' by the fans, a name that remains in the cricketing lexicon today.

Miguel Extras, pioneer of the "California Cover Drive"

Around 1900, it's believed Extras returned to Mexico, age was catching up with D.C. Wides and it's about this point in time that club records cease to exist. Rumour has it, a nephew of Wides relocated to Michigan where he started the short lived Bay City Beavers baseball team in 1913.

The team then lay dormant for just over a hundred years, when at a family reunion Red Hendery decided to catch up with his Great Uncle Barry, or Baz as he was known.

The next day, they took a trip to cousin Sharon's place who had a bunch of old family history in a cupboard and as they poured through the boxes they uncovered club records, team photos, newspaper clippings and everyone told tales of what they knew about the team.

As tribute to Uncle Baz, the team mascot was named 'Barry Beaver' but he still refuses to wear the costume.

Team photo at Phoenix Cricket Club in Ireland on July 27th, 2023