County Ground, Southampton facts for kids
| Ground information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Southampton, Hampshire | ||
| Coordinates | 50°55′10″N 1°24′36″W / 50.91944°N 1.41000°W | ||
| Establishment | 1885 | ||
| Demolished | 2001 | ||
| Capacity | 7,000 | ||
| End names | |||
| City End Northlands Road End |
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| International information | |||
| First ODI | 16 June 1983: Australia v  Zimbabwe |
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| Last ODI | 30 May 1999: Kenya v  Sri Lanka |
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| Only WODI | 19 July 1998: England v Australia |
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| Team information | |||
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| As of 5 September 2020 Source: CricketArchive |
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The County Ground in Southampton, England, was a famous place where people played cricket and football. It was the main home for the Hampshire County Cricket Club for 115 years, from 1885 to 2000. The Southampton Football Club also played their home games there for a couple of years, from 1896 to 1898. This historic ground was eventually closed in 2001.
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A New Home for Hampshire Cricket
Before the County Ground, Hampshire's cricket teams played at other places in Southampton. One of these was the Antelope Ground, where they played first-class cricket starting in 1842.
In 1883, a man named James Fellowes helped find a new, bigger space. He arranged for the club to lease about 8 acres (32,000 square meters) of land. This land was on Northlands Road. Hampshire County Cricket Club played their last match at the Antelope Ground in August 1884. They then moved to their new home, the County Ground, for the 1885 cricket season.
History of the County Ground
Opening and Early Cricket Matches
The County Ground was leased for £160 each year. A special building for players, called a pavilion, had to be built. This cost £2,000, which was raised by the club.
The ground officially opened on May 9, 1885. Elizabeth, Countess of Northesk, who was the club president's wife, opened it. The first big match was between South Hampshire and North Hampshire.
The very first first-class cricket match at the ground was in June 1885. Hampshire played against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The MCC team won this match easily. Ten days later, Hampshire played their first county cricket match there against Derbyshire. Hampshire lost that match too.
In 1886, Hampshire lost its special "first-class" status because of tough times. But they still played smaller matches at the ground. In 1893, the club bought the land for £5,400. Hampshire became a first-class team again in 1895. The County Ground then hosted its first County Championship match that same year.
Football at the Ground
Southampton F.C. used the County Ground for important football matches before 1896. These included FA Cup games. On April 26, 1893, a team from Stoke played a friendly match against Southampton St Mary's. Even with a future football star, Charles Miller, playing, Southampton lost 8–0. But fans still enjoyed the game!
Soon after, a football stand was built next to the cricket pavilion. Southampton F.C. played all their home games there for two seasons. However, the rent was £200 a year, which was a lot. Also, the facilities were not big enough for crowds of up to 12,000 people. So, the football club decided to move to a new stadium called The Dell in 1898.
Southampton had some big wins at the County Ground. On November 7, 1896, they beat New Brompton 8–3 in a Southern League match. Willie Naughton scored three goals in that game. In the FA Cup, they beat Swindon Town 8–2 in 1897.
Changes and Famous Wins
More improvements were made to the ground. A new front was added to the main pavilion in 1896. A special pavilion for ladies was also built. In 1900, the football stand was updated. Eleven years later, a new scoreboard was put up.
Hampshire Cricket Club faced money problems around 1904. There was talk of closing the ground, but it never happened. In 1912, Hampshire had a famous victory. They beat the touring Australians for the first time ever! Phil Mead scored 160 runs without being out. Alec Kennedy took 11 wickets in the match.
Between the World Wars
During the First World War, no first-class cricket matches were played. They stopped in August 1914 and started again in June 1919.
In 1921, the touring Australians set a record at the ground. They scored 708 runs for 7 wickets before stopping their innings. Three players scored over 100 runs each!
In 1930, many people came to watch Don Bradman play. He was a legendary Australian cricketer. Bradman scored 191 runs in the Australians' first innings.
Phil Mead was a star player for Hampshire during this time. By 1932, he had scored centuries (100 runs) against every county team. He played 187 times at the County Ground. There, he scored 14,504 runs, which is an amazing achievement!
Cricket stopped again during the Second World War. Southampton faced many bombings during the war.
Later Years and Final Matches
The County Ground was home to Hampshire's County Championship winning teams in 1961 and 1973. It also hosted its first List-A match in 1965.
In 1983, the ground hosted its first One Day International (ODI) match. Australia played against Zimbabwe in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Australia won that game.
In 1999, the ground hosted its last two One Day Internationals. These were also part of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. New Zealand played the West Indies, and Kenya played Sri Lanka.
Hampshire sold the County Ground in May 1998 for £5 million. After 115 years, the 2000 County Championship was the club's last season there. The final first-class match was against Yorkshire.
The County Ground hosted three One Day Internationals, 565 first-class matches, and 211 List-A matches. In 2001, Hampshire moved to their new home, the Rose Bowl. The old County Ground is now a housing estate.
Cricket Records at the Ground
International One-Day Matches
- Highest team score: 275 runs for 8 wickets by Sri Lanka against Kenya in 1999.
- Lowest team score: 156 runs by New Zealand
against 
West Indies in 1999. - Most runs by one player: 84 runs by David Houghton for Zimbabwe against Australia in 1983.
- Best bowling in one innings: 4 wickets for 46 runs by Mervyn Dillon for West Indies against New Zealand in 1999.
Domestic First-Class Matches
- Highest team score: 708 runs for 7 wickets by the Australians against Hampshire in 1921.
- Lowest team score: 30 runs by Hampshire against Nottinghamshire in 1932.
- Most runs by one player: 303 runs (not out) by Graeme Hick for Worcestershire against Hampshire in 1997.
- Best bowling in one innings: 9 wickets for 38 runs by Cardigan Connor for Hampshire against Gloucestershire in 1996.
- Best bowling in a match: 17 wickets for 119 runs by Walter Mead for Essex against Hampshire in 1895.
Domestic List A Matches
- Highest team score: 371 runs for 4 wickets by Hampshire against Glamorgan in 1975.
- Lowest team score: 63 runs by Hampshire against Surrey in 1997.
- Most runs by one player: 177 runs by Gordon Greenidge for Hampshire against Glamorgan in 1975.
- Best bowling in one innings: 7 wickets for 30 runs by Peter Sainsbury for Hampshire against Norfolk in 1965.
See also
- List of Hampshire County Cricket Club grounds
- List of cricket grounds in England and Wales
