County Ground, Stoke-on-Trent facts for kids
A modern day view of where the ground was located
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| Ground information | |||||
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| Location | Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire | ||||
| Coordinates | 53°00′35″N 2°10′48″W / 53.0098°N 2.1800°W | ||||
| Establishment | 1885 (first recorded match) | ||||
| Team information | |||||
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| As of 15 August 2010 Source: Ground profile |
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The County Ground was a famous cricket field located in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was a special place where many exciting cricket matches happened a long time ago. You could find it along Station Road, very close to the Stoke-on-Trent railway station. Today, the land where the County Ground once stood is part of Staffordshire University.
Contents
The County Ground's Cricket Story
Early Days of Cricket Matches
The first time a cricket match was officially recorded at the County Ground was in 1885. In that game, the Staffordshire team played against Derbyshire. These were not "first-class" matches yet, but they were still very important local games.
Just one year later, in 1886, the ground hosted its first "first-class" cricket match. This is the highest level of cricket below international games. An England XI (a team of top English players) played against the touring Australians. During this match, an Australian player named George Giffen achieved something amazing. He took two "five-wicket hauls," meaning he got five wickets in an innings twice!
Record-Breaking Moments
Two years later, in 1888, the Australians returned to the County Ground. They played against the England XI again and won by a huge margin. The England XI team was bowled out for only 28 runs in their first turn at bat. This was a very low score!
An Australian bowler named Charles Turner was incredible in that match. He took 9 wickets for only 15 runs. This was the best bowling performance ever seen at the County Ground in a first-class match. Imagine how exciting it must have been to watch!
The Australians came back in 1890 during the famous Ashes series. They played another first-class match against a Staffordshire XI and won by 88 runs.
Staffordshire's Home Ground
In 1895, the Staffordshire team started playing in the Minor Counties Championship. This was a competition for county teams that weren't in the top "first-class" league. The County Ground became their main home for these matches. Before World War I began in 1914, the ground hosted 70 Minor Counties Championship games.
In 1912, the County Ground hosted a first-class match again for the first time in many years. A team called the Minor Counties cricket team played against the touring South Africans. The weather was bad, so the match ended in a draw.
The Ground's Later Years
After World War I, the County Ground was used less often for cricket. The Staffordshire team started playing their matches at other locations around the county. Between 1922 and 1936, only seven more Minor Counties Championship matches were held there. The last game for Staffordshire at the ground was against Durham.
First-class cricket returned one last time in 1929. The Minor Counties team played against the touring South Africans again, and that match also ended in a draw.
Around the 1920s, the local football team, Stoke City, thought about moving their stadium to the County Ground. However, this plan never happened. By 1955, the North Staffordshire Technical College (which is now Staffordshire University) bought the land. Soon after, they built new buildings on the site. Today, the area is part of the university campus.
Amazing Cricket Records
The County Ground saw some incredible performances during its time. Here are some of the top records from the first-class matches played there:
Team Records
- Highest Team Score: The Australians scored 248 runs against the England XI in 1905.
- Lowest Team Score: The England XI was bowled out for just 28 runs against the Australians in 1888.
Individual Player Records
- Most Runs in One Innings: William Cook scored 92 runs for the Minor Counties against the South Africans in 1929.
- Best Bowling in One Innings: Charles Turner took 9 wickets for only 15 runs for the Australians against the England XI in 1888.
- Best Bowling in a Whole Match: Charles Turner also holds the record for the most wickets in a single match, with 13 wickets for 48 runs in that same 1888 game.
