Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland. The club's limited overs team is called the Leicestershire Foxes. Founded in 1879, the club had minor county status until 1894 when it was promoted to first-class status pending its entry into the County Championship in 1895. Since then, Leicestershire have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.
The 2005 English cricket season was the 106th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. Before it began, a resurgent England cricket team had won four Test series in a row, going unbeaten through the 2004 calendar year. The start of the international season saw England defeat Bangladesh 2–0 in their two-match series, winning both Tests by an innings. This was followed by a tri-nations one-day tournament that also featured Australia. Australia still started the Test series as favourites but most fans expected England to put up a challenge.
The Fox and Goose Ground was a cricket ground in Coalville, Leicestershire. Linked with the nearby Fox & Goose public house, the ground was used as an outground by Leicestershire in 1913 and 1914. First-class cricket was played at the ground twice, with Leicestershire playing against Worcestershire in the 1913 and 1914 County Championship's, with Leicestershire winning both matches. Following the First World War, Leicestershire did not return to the ground. Cricket is no longer played at the ground, which is still in use as a recreation ground and is now known as Scotlands Playing Fields.
Snibston Colliery Ground was a cricket ground in Coalville, Leicestershire. The land for the cricket ground was originally set aside for the miners at Snibston Colliery. Snibston Colliery was used as an outground by Leicestershire following the Second World War, with the county first playing there against Glamorgan in 1957 County Championship. Leicestershire player there intermittently until 1982, playing eight first-class matches there, plus a single List A one-day match against Glamorgan in the 1970 John Player League. The loss of first-class cricket at Snibston Colliery coincided with a downturn in fortune of the colliery. Snibston Grange Cricket Club continued to play at and maintain the ground, with Coalville Town F.C. moving to part of the ground in 1995 and establishing their Owen Street Sports Ground there. The cricket club folded in 2013, leaving Coalville Town F.C. as the sole tenant of the site.
Coventry Road Cricket Ground was a cricket ground in Hinckley, Leicestershire. It was located along Coventry Road to the south, Trinity Lane to the east, with Trinity Vicarage Road to the north. Established in 1946, the ground had a capacity of 3,500.
The Brush Ground was a cricket ground in Loughborough, Leicestershire. Owned by the Brush Electrical Machines Company and used by the company cricket team, it was used as an outground by Leicestershire. They first played there in a first-class match against Hampshire in the 1953 County Championship. Leicestershire played there at least once a year until 1965, playing sixteen first-class matches. The ground was later purchased by Leicestershire County Council in 2017, with the ground redeveloped for residential purposes. The sports club moved to new premises three–times the size Nanpantan Road in Loughborough.
The College Ground was a cricket ground based in the town of Loughborough, Leicestershire. Initially the ground was a playing field of the Loughborough Technical Institute, which was formed in 1909. First-class cricket was played at the ground twice in 1928 and 1929, with Leicestershire using the ground as an outground against Derbyshire in the 1928 County Championship and Glamorgan in the 1929 County Championship. Following the merger of the Loughborough College of Technology, Loughborough College of Education and Loughborough Training College and Loughborough College of Art and Design into The Union of Loughborough Colleges and subsequent application for university status by the College of Technology, there was a need for a permanent base for the Loughborough Students' Union. Land occupied by the College Ground was identified, with the Student Union building being constructed on it in 1979.
Park Road is a cricket ground in Loughborough, Leicestershire. Established along with the formation of Loughborough Town Cricket Club in 1896, the ground first played host to first-class cricket in 1913, when Leicestershire played Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. Leicestershire played at the ground eitherside of the First World War, but did not return until 1933. Leicestershire regularly used Park Road as an outground throughout the 1930s, before the Second World War bought about the suspension of county cricket. Leicestershire resumed playing there after the war and used the ground until 1952, having played fifteen first-class matches there since their first match at the ground in 1913. Leicestershire returned to Park Road 18 years later, playing a List A one-day match there against Nottinghamshire in the 1970 John Player League. The ground is still in use by Loughborough Town Cricket Club.
Egerton Park is a cricket ground in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The land for the park was purchased from the Egerton Lodge Estate by the Melton Mowbray Town Estate in 1931. Egerton Park was used as an outground by Leicestershire following the Second World War, playing three first-class cricket matches there against Somerset, Lancashire and Kent in the 1946, 1947 and 1948 County Championship's respectively. Egerton Park played host to international cricket in 1986, when Malaysia played Zimbabwe in the ICC Trophy, though the match carried no official status.
Aylestone Road, now also known as the Leicester Electricity Sports Cricket Ground, is a cricket ground in Leicester, England, which was the headquarters of Leicestershire County Cricket Club from 1901 to 1939. Although the playing area is much reduced by housing and commercial developments, it is still used as a cricket ground, though not by the county team.
The Racecourse Ground is a cricket ground in Hereford. The ground is located inside Hereford Racecourse and is the only remaining former first-class cricket venue in England which lies inside a racecourse. It played host to first-class and List A cricket matches for Worcestershire County Cricket Club between 1919 and 1988, and minor counties matches for Herefordshire County Cricket Club from 1992 to 1996.
The War Memorial Athletic Ground, often referred to as simply the War Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in the Amblecote region of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It plays host to both cricket and football, being the home of Stourbridge Cricket Club and Stourbridge Football Club.
Highfield is a cricket ground in Leek, Staffordshire. The ground is located just outside of the town along the Macclesfield Road, which itself forms part of the A523 Road. It has played host to List A and Twenty20 matches for Derbyshire County Cricket Club, in addition to playing host to Staffordshire County Cricket Club in minor counties cricket.
The Wellingborough School Ground is a cricket ground which was used by Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in 43 First-class matches for 45 years between 1946 and 1991, and 17 List A games between 1970 and 1991. It is now used predominantly for Women's County Twenty20 Cricket. The Thatched Pavilion which adjoins the ground features, as the last step an incoming batsman takes on the way to the wicket, a paving stone from W. G. Grace's home in Bristol. Murray Witham, a geography teacher at the school, rescued the stone from Grace's home when it was being demolished in the 1930s and brought it to the school.
The County Ground is a cricket ground in Swindon, Wiltshire. The ground is located to the north of the County Football Ground used by Swindon Town. It has played host to first-class and List A cricket matches, in addition to playing host to Wiltshire County Cricket Club in minor counties cricket.
Brunton Memorial Ground is a cricket ground at Radlett in Hertfordshire. The ground is the home of Radlett Cricket Club and, since 2013, has been used as an outground by Middlesex County Cricket Club. It was used occasionally by Hertfordshire County Cricket Club between 1975 and 2008 for Minor Counties Championship matches.
Tunstall Road, also known as Victoria and Knypersley Social Welfare Centre, is a cricket ground in Knypersley, Staffordshire. The ground is located along the Tunstall Road, which itself forms part of the A527 Road. It has played host to List A matches for Derbyshire County Cricket Club, in addition to playing host to Staffordshire County Cricket Club in minor counties cricket.
The Griff and Coton Ground is a cricket ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The ground is located off the Heath End Road and forms part of a wider sports and social club. It played host to first-class and List A cricket matches for Warwickshire County Cricket Club between 1930 and 1989.
Kirkby Road is a cricket ground in Barwell, Leicestershire. Cricket in Barwell dates to 1807, with cricket being played at Kirkby Road since at least 1913. First-class cricket has been played there three times in 1946 and 1947, with Leicestershire playing Lancashire and Warwickshire in the 1946 County Championship and Worcestershire in the 1947 County Championship. Over half a century later in 2001, major cricket returned to the ground when it played host to a List A one-day match between the Leicestershire Cricket Board (LCB) and the Northamptonshire Cricket Board in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy, which was won by the LCB, with their captain Neil Pullen scoring 88. The ground is still used by the village club and adjoins the football ground used by Barwell F.C.
