The Circle (Kingston upon Hull) facts for kids
| Location | Kingston upon Hull, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°44′45.44″N 0°22′01.71″W / 53.7459556°N 0.3671417°W |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Yorkshire CCC Hull Cricket Club Hull and East Riding RUFC Hull City A.F.C. |
|
The Circle was a famous sports ground located in Kingston upon Hull, England. It was mainly known for hosting cricket matches. From 1899 to 1974, it held 89 important cricket games called first-class matches. Sometimes, games were even cancelled because of rain!
Most of the cricket matches played here were part of the County Championship, featuring the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. But The Circle also welcomed international touring teams from countries like India, Australia, and South Africa. It also hosted 19 one-day cricket games, known as List A matches, between 1969 and 1990. Besides cricket, the ground was also used by the Hull City football team and the Hull and East Riding RUFC rugby team.
Contents
History of The Circle Ground
The Circle ground has a long and interesting history, especially for sports fans in Hull. It was a key location for both cricket and other popular sports for many years.
Cricket Highlights at The Circle
Many exciting things happened at The Circle cricket ground. Some amazing players scored huge amounts of runs!
Top Scores by Batsmen
Three batsmen scored over 200 runs in a single game at The Circle. This is a very rare and impressive achievement in cricket.
- Maurice Leyland scored 263 runs for Yorkshire against Essex in 1936.
- Herbert Sutcliffe made an unbeaten 234 runs against Leicestershire in 1939.
- Basil D'Oliveira scored 227 runs for Worcestershire against Yorkshire in 1974.
Another player, Percy Holmes, almost reached 200 runs, getting out for 199 in 1923. Even in one-day games, Barry Richards scored 155 runs without being out in 1970.
Best Bowling Performances
Bowlers also had their moments of glory at The Circle. Taking many wickets in an innings is a sign of a great bowler.
- Johnny Wardle took 9 wickets for only 48 runs against Sussex in 1954.
- Seven other bowlers managed to take 8 wickets in a single innings. These included famous Yorkshire players like Wilfred Rhodes (8 wickets for 23 runs in 1900), George Hirst (8 wickets for 25 runs in 1907), George Macaulay (8 wickets for 37 runs in 1927), and Hedley Verity (8 wickets for 38 runs in 1939).
Team Records and Low Scores
Yorkshire, the main cricket team playing here, scored over 500 runs twice!
- They scored 523 runs for 3 wickets against Leicestershire in 1937.
- Two years later, they scored 500 runs for 7 wickets against the same team.
However, some teams had a really tough time and were bowled out for very low scores.
- Sussex was bowled out for just 20 runs in 1922.
- Derbyshire scored only 23 runs in 1921.
- Worcestershire was bowled out for 25 runs in 1906.
The End of Cricket at The Circle
After 1974, the Yorkshire team decided not to play their games at The Circle anymore. However, the ground continued to be the home for the local Hull Cricket Club. By 1986, the Hull City Council took over the ground and planned to make improvements. But in 1987, the main building, called the pavilion, was found to be unsafe and had to be pulled down. Sadly, over the next few years, the ground suffered from vandalism.
The very last cricket match at The Circle was played in September 2000. In 2001, the ground was completely demolished. Its land was used to build part of what is now known as the KC Stadium complex. Interestingly, the official address for the KC Stadium is still "The Circle, Anlaby Road, Hull."
Other Sports Played at The Circle
The Circle wasn't just for cricket; it was a multi-sport venue!
Football at The Circle
The Hull City football team used The Circle as their home ground for most of the 1905–06 season. Hull City had just joined the Football League in 1905. They originally planned to use another stadium called The Boulevard. However, the Rugby League authorities made a rule that stopped football games from charging entry fees at that ground. So, Hull City moved to The Circle while they built their own new stadium. Even though the rugby authorities later changed their rule, Hull City moved to their new Anlaby Road ground, right next to The Circle, in March 1906.
Rugby Union at The Circle
During the winter months, The Circle was also a place for rugby union. The Hull and East Riding RUFC team played their games there. This club later joined with another team, Ionians RUFC, to form Hull Ionians. This new team now plays in a different location called Brantingham.
