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. |
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The Circle was a famous old sports ground in Kingston upon Hull, England. It was mainly known for hosting many exciting cricket matches. From 1899 to 1974, it held 89 important first-class cricket games. These included matches for the County Championship with Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Teams from other countries like India, Australia, and South Africa also played there. The ground was also used for 19 one-day cricket games between 1969 and 1990. Besides cricket, The Circle was a home for Hull City A.F.C. (a football team) and Hull and East Riding RUFC (a rugby team).
Contents
History of The Circle Ground
The Circle has a long and interesting history as a sports venue. It saw many memorable moments in cricket, football, and rugby.
Cricket's Big Moments
Many amazing things happened on The Circle's cricket field.
Top Scores by Batsmen
Some batsmen scored huge amounts of runs at The Circle. For example, Maurice Leyland scored 263 runs for Yorkshire in a single game in 1936. Another Yorkshire player, Herbert Sutcliffe, made 234 runs without being out in 1939. These were very impressive performances!
Incredible Bowling Feats
Bowlers also had their moments of glory. Johnny Wardle took 9 wickets for only 48 runs in a match in 1954. Several other bowlers, including Yorkshire legends like Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst, took 8 wickets in an innings. This shows how challenging the pitch could be for batsmen.
Team Records and Drama
Teams sometimes scored a lot of runs, and sometimes very few. Yorkshire once scored over 500 runs in a game, showing their strength. However, other teams had tough days. Sussex was bowled out for just 20 runs in 1922, and Derbyshire for 23 runs in 1921. These low scores show the unpredictable nature of cricket.
The Final Years of Cricket
After 1974, Yorkshire County Cricket Club stopped playing their games at The Circle. However, Hull Cricket Club continued to use it as their home ground. In 1986, Hull City Council took over the ground and planned to make improvements.
Sadly, the main building, called the pavilion, was declared unsafe and taken down in 1987. Over the next few years, the ground suffered from damage and neglect. The very last cricket match was played in September 2000. The Circle was then demolished in 2001. Today, the land is part of the KC Stadium complex, a modern sports venue.
Other Sports Played Here
The Circle wasn't just for cricket; it also hosted other popular sports.
Hull City Football Matches
Hull City A.F.C. used The Circle as their home ground for most of the 1905–06 football season. They needed a temporary home because of rules about their usual stadium, The Boulevard. Hull City later moved to their new Anlaby Road ground, which was right next to The Circle.
Rugby Union Games
During the winter months, The Circle was a venue for rugby union. Hull and East Riding RUFC played their matches there. This club later joined with another to form Hull Ionians, who now play in a different location.
