Between Subbuteo Cricket’s introduction in 1949, and the switch to 3D plastic figures in 1966/7, fourteen items were listed on the flat era price lists at various times.
The price lists were mostly produced annually for one year, although between 1959/60 and 1961/2 seasons lists appear to have covered two.
Most of the items listed were not really accessories as we now see them. They were either the box sets themselves or replacement items for these. Given that both the card and later celluloid figures were hard to repair once damaged, you could see that there would have been a demand for straight replacements over time.
From launch in 1949 the range featured two box sets and a further 10 items, including the baize playing pitches. A further two accessories and another box set were added subsequently. The latter was inserted into the range as item 3, meaning that the numbering of all the other accessories changed by one at that point.
Subsequent discontinuations didn’t affect the numbering, meaning that later lists had some gaps (at 11 and 13).
Here’s a brief rundown of the range, using item numbers from the final 1965 price list. Where these had changed the previous number is in brackets.
1. Complete Standard Outfit – the card box set
Described in full as the “Complete Standard Outfit in box together with full Assembling instructions, score sheet and Rules of Play”, you can see more about this in the Box Sets section.
This set did not include a playing pitch. Instead, instructions on how to mark a pitch out on a suitable surface, such as an old army blanket, were included together with a stick of chalk.
In its final year for sale (1965) its price would be roughly £14 in 2023 money.
2. Complete Combination Edition – the first celluloid set
This was labelled the “Complete Combination Edition in box containing Special Fieldsmen Set (including Bowler) and Special Batmen and Umpire set stamped out in an unbreakable celluloid material, together with Score Sheet and Rules of Play.”
The individual items came in cellophane bags, examples of which you can see below. You can also see more about this in the Box Set Section.
In its final year for sale (1965) its price would be roughly £17.50 in 2023 money.
3. Complete Super Assembled celluloid box set including pitch
The “Complete Super Assembled Set with De Luxe Components and marked out Baize Cloth 54 ins. by 36 ins. Measurements of actual playing area approximately 48ins. by 32ins.”
This was the celluloid set of item 2, but ready assembled and consequently in a larger box. This features a black display insert which shows the set off really well.
It was the only set in the range to also feature the playing pitch – printed version (see below).
In its final year for sale (1965) its price would be roughly £57.00 in 2023 money, its higher price reflecting the cost of the pitch, which was the premium item in the range.
This set joined the range in 1962, taking over the Item 3 spot on price lists as subsequent items shifted down a number. This also has its own page in the Box Set section.
4. Card fielder set (3)
This set was the “Fielding Team Sheet, including Bowler, Wicketkeeper and 9 Fielder Bases and 1 gummed alphabetical identification sheet.”
Originally Item 3 on pre-1962 price lists, this was one of the elements of the Complete Standard Outfit box set (Item 1). The pieces came as a sheet and had to be carefully cut out and stuck into the bases. An explanation of the best way to do this was included.
In later versions the figures could be pushed out of the sheet, rather than requiring scissors.
Also included are some handy stickers so you could keep track of which player was which as they moved around the pitch.
5. Batsmen and umpires (4)
Set 5 was the second half of the card playing figures. The “Batsmen and Umpires Team Sheet including Bats, together with bases”. For the umpires that meant black bases, in contrast to the players’ white ones.
6. Wickets (5)
Set 6 was “Two sets of stumps, bails and wickets”. Incredibly difficult to set up I can imagine that replacement packs of these would have been a popular item on the price list. The bails in particular are tiny and very easily lost.
7. Four Red Celluloid Cricket Balls (6)
The hollow balls of the card era were quite easily crushed, so you can imagine this replacement set being in relatively big demand as well.
The balls for the celluloid sets were slightly more solid and a little smaller. There’s a comparison on the TC-D page.
8. Two Wicket “Stops” (7)
The forerunners of the green plastic right angle stops of the 00 Scale range, these were pretty much the same thing, but in a thinner and darker plastic.
In fact these are so thin compared to their 00 scale successors, that its hard to find a set that don’t look somewhat misshapen now.
Examples in clear plastic can also be found, although whether these were restricted to the box sets or appeared in the accessories line-up as well, I’m not sure.
9. 3 Score Sheets (8)
What more can you say? The first designs featured a batter with his bat raised. The second design saw him redesigned into a slightly more active pose.
Originally Item 8 on the price list, these became slightly larger in the plastic era.
10. Celluloid bats, batsmen and umpires (9)
Described as “Special Batsmen and Umpire Figures (including Bats) stamped out in an unbreakable celluloid material” this wasoriginally Item 9 on the price list.
It’s the first of the celluloid set-specific replacement parts, although maybe the “unbreakable” claim should have rendered it unnecessary???
11. Celluloid fielder set (10)
The “Special Fieldsmen figures including Bowler, stamped out in an unbreakable celluloid material” set was the fielding equivalent of set 10.
Including a bowler with triangular wire ball holder, this had originally been Item 10 on the price list.
12. Unmarked-out playing surface (11)
Described as “Green baize cloth for converting into a Cricket Playing Pitch 54” x 36” thiswas a plain, dark green baize cloth.
The rule book contained instructions of how to mark the lines on the cloth. Although it’s unclear if instructions were also included in the clear plastic bag this set came in, I would imagine that they almost certainly did.
Part of the range from launch in 1949, this was discontinued before the 1964 price list was printed, after which time only the printed pitch was available.
13. Green baize pitch (12)
The highest price piece in the range, this was roughly double the price of the card playing set (Item 1) and 50% more than the cost of the basic celluloid set (Item 2).
The forerunner of TC-J the cloth is thicker / heavier than later pitches and of a noticeably darker green. There’s a comparison below, showing a 00 scale era pitch folded on top of the original cloth.
Introduced with the rest of the range in 1949, the pitch does not carry any Subbuteo logos but is otherwise identical to later versions.
13 “Pair of sight screens”
The sight screens were the first non-box set contents added to the range in 1950. The first true “accessory” rather than replacement set, they were short-lived however. The set was discontinued before the 1964 price list, probably at the same time as the ready-assembled celluloid set joined the range.
60 years or so later the sight screens are the hardest to find Subbuteo Cricket item of all. Perhaps the only genuinely rare piece. You can read more about them by following the link above.
14 Bat and bowler set
Described as “one Bat with Base, One Bowler with Base” this set was a later addition to the range, joining in 1961/2.
Spare bats and bowlers were available in other sets above, but it may be that the increasing popularity of the more breakable celluloid over card sets necessitated the need for specific replacements for the most likely pieces to be damaged.
You can see more about some of these pieces and how they compared to their 00 scale replacements in the Ground & Accessories pages.
Subbuteo Cricket 