County Ground, Exeter facts for kids
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The new pavilion on the County Ground
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| Ground information | |||||||
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| Location | Exeter, Devon | ||||||
| Establishment | 1889 (first recorded match) | ||||||
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| As of 16 April 2023 Source: Ground profile |
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The County Ground is a special place for playing cricket in Exeter, Devon. It's a famous sports field where many exciting matches have happened. The first recorded game here was way back in 1889. It was a match between the Gentlemen of Devon and Somerset.
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The County Ground: A Cricket Home
The County Ground has been a busy cricket venue for over a century. It's a key spot for cricket in the Devon area. Many different teams have played important games on its green field.
Early Days of Cricket
In 1902, the Devon team played their first big game here. This was part of the Minor Counties Championship. They played against the Wiltshire team. From 1902 to 1987, the ground hosted 148 Minor Counties Championship matches. It also hosted one MCCA Knockout Trophy game in 1984. That match was between Devon and Oxfordshire. After a break, the ground hosted another Minor Counties match in 2010. Devon played against Wales Minor Counties then.
Big Matches Played Here
The County Ground has even hosted two very important "first-class" cricket matches. These are top-level games in cricket. The first was in 1927, when a team called "the West" played against the touring New Zealanders. The second first-class match was in 1928. A team made up of players from Minor Counties played against the touring West Indians.
The ground also hosted one "List-A" cricket match. This is another type of important one-day game. It happened in the 1980 Gillette Cup. The Devon team played against Cornwall. Devon won that game by a large number of runs.
Local Cricket Teams
The County Ground is the home field for the Exeter Cricket Club. This club plays in the Tolchards Drinks-sponsored Devon Cricket League. Exeter Cricket Club has been playing here since 1902. Before that, their home ground was at a place called Grâs Lawn.
Another team, the Devon Dumplings, also uses the County Ground often. This team doesn't have its own fixed home ground. They have been playing at the County Ground regularly since they started in 1902.
