Charles H Tocknall originally licensed the Cricket Club Hotel in 1870.
It was situated on the corner of Thomson Street, which was then
known as Little Raglan Street. In 1975, the hotel was licensed by footballer
Brian Roberts who played for both South Melbourne and Richmond.During his management, the hotel was referred
to as ‘Whales Hotel’, an allusion to the size of the publican! Roberts would
later manage the Duke of Wellington Hotel on the corner of Flinders and Russell
Streets until its closure in 2003.The
room at the back of the hotel was featured in the 1990 film ‘Father’ starring
Max Von Sydow.
John and Tania McConnan, who have been at the
hotel since 2000, have extensively refurbished its interior while maintaining
its authentic pub atmosphere, enhanced by the original judge’s chair and
witness box from the old Prahran Courthouse. In 2001, the Cricket Club was one
of the finalists in the Best Metropolitan Pub Without
Gaming category of the Australian Hotel Association State Awards for
Excellence.An English style hotel, it
is highly regarded by its patrons as a warm and friendly pub where good food
and conversation are readily available.
Charles H 
