List of Somerset County Cricket Club grounds

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The County Ground, Taunton is the headquarters of Somerset County Cricket Club, and has hosted the majority of their matches. County ground taunton churches.jpg
The County Ground, Taunton is the headquarters of Somerset County Cricket Club, and has hosted the majority of their matches.

Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 member clubs of the English County Championship, representing the historic county of Somerset. The club was established in August 1875 and has played first-class cricket since 1882, [1] List A cricket since 1963, [2] and Twenty20 cricket since 2003. [3] [lower-alpha 1] Unlike most professional sports, in which a team usually has a single fixed home ground, county cricket clubs have traditionally used different grounds in various towns and cities within the county for home matches, although the use of minor "out grounds" has diminished since the 1980s. [4] [5] Somerset have played first class, List A, or Twenty20 matches at eighteen different grounds.

Contents

Somerset's first home first-class match was against Hampshire in 1882 at the County Ground, Taunton. This ground is the headquarters of the county club, and has hosted more Somerset matches than any other ground. It was originally known as the Taunton Athletic Ground, and featured a cycling/running track around the outside of the playing area which was later removed. [1] Prior to the cessation of cricket during the First World War, Somerset only played at three other grounds; two in Bath, and Clarence Park in Weston-super-Mare. The Recreation Ground in Bath, the home ground of Bath Rugby, [6] has been a regular setting for Somerset, hosting over 300 county matches. It is also Somerset's only venue other than the County Ground to have hosted a Twenty20 match. [3] Clarence Park also frequently hosted Somerset matches until 1996, and has featured over 200 Somerset games. The next most frequently used ground is Morlands Athletic Ground in Glastonbury, where Somerset played 24 times between 1952 and 1978.

After the First World War, Somerset began playing in a wider variety of locations around the county, including three different grounds in Yeovil, and also hosted five matches at the Recreation Ground in Torquay, despite that being in Devon. They played in three different grounds in Bristol, which has been considered an independent county since 1373, though it was part of the county of Avon from 1974 until 1996, [7] and where Gloucestershire County Cricket Club have their headquarters. [8] After 1979, Somerset only played at the County Ground, the Recreation Ground and Clarence Park until 2012, when they faced Cardiff MCC University at Taunton Vale, their first new ground in 37 years. Somerset have not played a county match outside of Taunton since 2011, when they faced Essex in a Twenty20 match in Bath.

Grounds

Below is a complete list of grounds used by Somerset County Cricket Club for first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches. Statistics are complete through to the end of the 2023 season. Only matches played by Somerset at the grounds are recorded in the table. Matches abandoned without any play occurring are not included.

NameLocation First-class List A Twenty20 Refs
FirstLastMatchesFirstLastMatchesFirstLastMatches
County Ground
County Ground, Taunton panorama.jpg
Taunton 8 August 1882
v Hampshire 		19 September 2023
v Kent 		90927 May 1964
v Nottinghamshire 		20 August 2023
v Glamorgan 		39613 June 2003
v Warwickshire 		7 July 2023
v Nottinghamshire 		117 [9] [10] [11] [12] [lower-alpha 2]
Lansdown CC Ground,
Combe Park
Lansdown Cricket Club clubhouse.jpg
Bath 18 August 1884
v Hampshire 		18 August 1884
v Hampshire 		1––0––0 [14] [15] [lower-alpha 3]
Recreation Ground
Bath rec cricket.jpg
Bath 19 July 1897
v Gentlemen of Philadelphia 		14 June 2006
v Surrey 		2554 May 1969
v Kent 		23 May 2010
v Worcestershire 		564 July 2011
v Essex 		4 July 2011
v Essex 		1 [16] [17] [18] [19]
Clarence Park
Clarence park.jpg
Weston-super-Mare 27 August 1914
v Yorkshire 		21 August 1996
v Durham 		19120 June 1971
v Yorkshire 		25 August 1996
v Durham 		23––0 [20] [21] [22]
Knowle CC Ground
Knowle cricket club ground.jpg
Bristol 9 June 1926
v Hampshire 		18 August 1928
v Essex 		3––0––0 [23] [24]
Agricultural Showgrounds
Agricultural Showgrounds, Frome.JPG
Frome 25 June 1932
v Northamptonshire 		6 May 1961
v Hampshire 		1828 June 1970
v Leicestershire 		28 June 1970
v Leicestershire 		1––0 [25] [26] [27]
Downside School
Geograph 1869121 Downside Cricket pavilion.jpg
Stratton-on-the-Fosse 23 June 1934
v Glamorgan 		23 June 1934
v Glamorgan 		1––0––0 [28] [29]
Rowdens Road
Rowdens Road Cricket Ground, Wells.JPG
Wells 17 July 1935
v Worcestershire 		25 July 1951
v Warwickshire 		11––0––0 [30] [31]
West Hendford Yeovil 17 August 1935
v Surrey 		15 July 1939
v Lancashire 		5––0––0 [32] [33]
Johnson Park Yeovil 19 May 1951
v Nottinghamshire 		29 July 1967
v Essex 		1227 July 1969
v Essex 		7 June 1970
v Warwickshire 		2––0 [34] [35] [36]
Morlands Athletic Ground
Tor leisure ground.jpg
Glastonbury 26 July 1952
v Northamptonshire 		14 July 1973
v Nottinghamshire 		1813 July 1969
v Nottinghamshire 		16 July 1978
v Leicestershire 		6––0 [37] [38] [39]
Imperial Athletic Ground Bristol 21 August 1957
v Sussex 		7 May 1966
v Hampshire 		96 June 1971
v Gloucestershire 		10 June 1979
v Gloucestershire 		8––0 [40] [41] [42]
Millfield School
Millfield main ground pavilion.jpg
Street 29 July 1961
v Warwickshire 		29 July 1961
v Warwickshire 		110 May 1975
v Gloucestershire 		3 July 1977
v Hampshire 		2––0 [43] [44] [45] [lower-alpha 4]
Devonshire Park
Devonshire park.jpg
Weston-super-Mare ––027 April 1969
v Leicestershire 		9 August 1970
v Kent 		2––0 [46] [47]
Ironmould Lane
Ironmould lane cricket ground.jpg
Bristol ––015 June 1969
v Surrey 		21 June 1970
v Derbyshire 		2––0 [48] [49]
Recreation Ground
Pavilion, Torquay Seafront Recreation Ground.jpg
Torquay, Devon ––024 August 1969
v Sussex 		13 July 1975
v Northamptonshire 		5––0 [50] [51] [lower-alpha 5]
Westlands Sports Ground
Westlands Sports Ground, Yeovil.jpg
Yeovil ––023 May 1971
v Lancashire 		21 May 1978
v Surrey 		8––0 [53] [54]
Taunton Vale
Taunton vale pavilion.jpg
Taunton 31 March 2012
v Cardiff MCCU 		2 April 2015
v Durham MCCU 		2––0––0 [55] [56] [lower-alpha 6]

Notes

  1. ↑ First-class cricket matches are designed to be contested over multiple days, with each team permitted two innings with no limit to the number of overs in an innings. List A matches are intended to be completed in a single day and restrict each team to a single innings of between 40 and 60 overs, depending on the specific competition. Twenty20 matches restrict each team to a single innings of 20 overs.
  2. ↑ The County Ground has also hosted two first-class matches, one between East Africa and Sri Lanka and one between India A and West Indies A, six international one-day matches, four "A" international one-day matches, and one international Twenty20 match. Worcestershire also used the ground for one List A match in late 2007, when their main ground was flooded. [13]
  3. ↑ At Combe Park, Somerset most recently played in 1966; a one-day (not List A) match against International Cavaliers.
  4. ↑ At Millfield, Somerset most recently played in 2002; a three-day (not first-class) match against Cardiff UCCE.
  5. ↑ The Recreation Ground has also been used as a first-class venue for matches between the South and the North of England, an England XI and the Commonwealth XI, and the Minor Counties against touring opposition. [52] Somerset also played one further match at the Recreation Ground, Torquay as the away team against Minor Counties in 1974, and Devon have played five List A matches there.
  6. ↑ At Taunton Vale, Somerset have played several matches against MCC Universities teams since 2005 (with first-class matches in 2012 and 2015).

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Somerset County Cricket Club made their debut in first-class cricket in the 1882 English cricket season. They were captained by Stephen Newton, and played eight first-class matches, five against county opposition, two against the Marylebone Cricket Club and one against the touring Australian team. They only won one of the eight contests, that against Hampshire at Taunton. Of the other matches, one was drawn and the other six were all losses for Somerset. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described the season as "disastrous", but the publication qualified this statement with mild optimism for 1883.

In 1883, Somerset County Cricket Club played their second season of first-class cricket. They were captained by Stephen Newton, and played in seven matches, six against county opposition, and one against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). They won only one of their seven contests, that against Hampshire at Taunton. Of the remaining matches, the one against the MCC was drawn, and the other five were all losses for Somerset.

References

  1. 1 2 Powell (2003), pp. 278–280.
  2. ↑ "List A Matches played by Somerset". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd . Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Twenty20 Matches played by Derbyshire". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  4. ↑ Glover, Andrew (10 April 2013). "Remembering Yorkshire County Cricket Club's out grounds". BBC News . Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  5. ↑ Stockton, Edward (13 June 2006). "Out of town but not out of favour". ESPNcricinfo . ESPN . Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Powell (2003), p. 288.
  7. ↑ "City of Bristol". High Sheriff's Association of England and Wales. 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Powell (2003), p. 106.
  9. ↑ "County Ground, Taunton". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on County Ground, Taunton". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "List A Matches played on County Ground, Taunton". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Twenty20 Matches played on County Ground, Taunton". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Davies and Hick keep Worcestershire top". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. 25 August 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Lansdown Cricket Club Ground, Combe Park, Bath". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Lansdown Cricket Club Ground, Combe Park, Bath (1)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Recreation Ground, Bath". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  17. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Recreation Ground, Bath (255)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "List A Matches played on Recreation Ground, Bath (56)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Twenty20 Matches played on Recreation Ground, Bath (1)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  21. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare (191)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "List A Matches played on Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare (23)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Knowle Cricket Club Ground, Bristol". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  24. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Knowle Cricket Club Ground, Bristol (3)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Agricultural Showgrounds, Frome". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  26. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Agricultural Showgrounds, Frome (18)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  27. ↑ "List A Matches played on Agricultural Showgrounds, Frome (1)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  28. ↑ "Downside School, Stratton-on-the-Fosse". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  29. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Downside School, Stratton-on-the-Fosse (1)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  30. ↑ "Rowden Road, Wells". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  31. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Rowden Road, Wells (11)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "West Hendford, Yeovil". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  33. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on West Hendford, Yeovil (5)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  34. ↑ "Johnson Park, Yeovil". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  35. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Johnson Park, Yeovil (12)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  36. ↑ "List A Matches played on Johnson Park, Yeovil (2)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  37. ↑ "Morlands Athletic Ground, Glastonbury". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  38. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Morlands Athletic Ground, Glastonbury (18)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  39. ↑ "List A Matches played on Morlands Athletic Ground, Glastonbury (6)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  40. ↑ "Imperial Athletic Ground, Bristol". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  41. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Imperial Athletic Ground, Bristol (9)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  42. ↑ "List A Matches played on Imperial Athletic Ground, Bristol (8)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "Millfield School, Street". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  44. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Millfield School, Street (1)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  45. ↑ "List A Matches played on Millfield School, Street (2)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  46. ↑ "Devonshire Park Ground, Weston-super-Mare". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  47. ↑ "List A Matches played on Devonshire Park Ground, Weston-super-Mare (2)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  48. ↑ "Ironmould Lane, Bristol". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  49. ↑ "List A Matches played on Ironmould Lane, Bristol (2)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  50. ↑ "Recreation Ground, Torquay". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  51. ↑ "List A Matches played on Recreation Ground, Torquay (11)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  52. ↑ "First-class matches played on the Recreation Ground, Torquay (12)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  53. ↑ "Westlands Sports Ground, Yeovil". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  54. ↑ "List A Matches played on Westlands Sports Ground, Yeovil (8)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  55. ↑ "Taunton Vale Sports Club Ground, Taunton". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  56. ↑ "First-Class Matches played on Taunton Vale Sports Club Ground, Taunton (2)". CricketArchive. The Cricketer Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2016.

Bibliography

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