County Cricket Ground, Taunton
Encyclopedia
The County Ground is a cricket
ground in Taunton
, Somerset
. It is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club
, who have played there since 1882. The ground, which is located between Priory Bridge Road and St. James Street in Taunton has a capacity in excess of 6,500. The ground was originally built as part of a sports centre by Taunton Athletic Club in 1881, and became the home of the previously nomadic Somerset County Cricket Club soon after. After leasing the ground for ten years, the club bought the ground in 1896, under the guidance of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon. The ground ends are the River End to the north and the Old Pavilion End to the south.
Somerset played their first match of first-class cricket
on the ground over 8–10 August 1882, beating Hampshire County Cricket Club
by five wickets. Later in the same month, the touring Australia national cricket team played a match against Somerset, becoming the first international side to play at the ground. The first international cricket to be played on the ground was during the 1983 Cricket World Cup
, for a group-stage match between England and Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted two group-stage matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup
. Since 1997, women's international cricket has been played at the ground, and in 2006 it became the home of the England women's cricket team.
, prompted by an article in the Somerset County Gazette
describing cricket in Taunton as being "in a sorry plight", were considering building their own ground. Athletics was booming in the town, and it was an amalgamation of sporting clubs that leased seven and a half acres of land known as "Rack Field" from local gentleman farmer John Winter for £50 per year. A cricket pitch, cycling-track and running-track were all laid on the ground with great difficulty; with the land lying next to the River Tone
. Although Edward Western promised that Somerset could play fixtures on the ground, he acknowledged that the cricket pitch belonged to Taunton Cricket Club. The new sports centre was opened on Whit Monday
1881, with an athletics fixture held on the newly laid running-track to mark the occasion. Although some cricket was played at the ground in 1881, it was not yet ready for first-class matches. Taunton Athletic Society, thanks to money raised by Western, funded the erection of a grandstand and pavilion on the ground ready for a 15-mile bicycle
race between French champion Frédéric De Civry and John Keen
in August 1881.
Known as the Taunton Athletic Ground, Somerset County Cricket Club
played their maiden first-class game there in 1882. Originally a nomadic club, Somerset played their home matches across the county, relying on the good will of other people. Four first-class matches were played at the ground in 1882; after a five-wicket victory over Hampshire County Cricket Club
in the first match, Somerset failed to win any of the remaining games, culminating in an innings and 19 run loss against the touring Australians. Somerset lost their briefly held first-class status in 1886, but in the same year took out a nineteen-year lease on the Athletic Ground. The more loyal members of the club had decided that there was a need to restructure the club and have a permanent home. Somerset regained their first-class status after an unbeaten season in 1890
, winning the so called 'Second-class County Championship'. The first official County Championship
match was played at the ground in 1891, a nine-wicket loss to Lancashire
. In 1896, ten years after taking out the lease on the ground, the freehold was purchased by the club for £2,000. Under the administration of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon, the small ground was developed, with trees planted along the boundary.
By the start of the twentieth century, the ground was, according to Roebuck, "an intimate and lovely place". A section of the ground known as the "Hen Coop" was used by the important families in Taunton, and although there were no official seat reservations, no one else occupied these seats in the absence of their regular user. For the less well off, hard benches were placed around much of the ground, and the floor was used by many others, particularly under some chestnut trees
. A public bar was erected soon after, and was well used, especially after the First World War. In 1925, some of the seats were removed in one corner of the ground, and a hill was built to provide a superior view of the ground, using 400 lorry-loads of earth. During the Second World War, the ground, like many others in the country, was lent to the military. It was used by local soldiers and firemen alike, but the groundsman was careful to maintain the cricket surface throughout the war, in preparation for use again at its conclusion.
In 1989 the Somerset Cricket Museum
was opened at the ground within the Old Priory Barn, a Grade II* listed building. The exhibits and displays in the museum primarily cover the cricket club's history including Test match
players such as Ian Botham
and Marcus Trescothick
. It also has a section devoted to the England women's cricket team, due to the County Ground being their headquarters. The museum also hosts a collection of I Zingari
memorabilia, a club to whom current chairman Charles Clive Ponsonby-Fane has strong family links.
In June 2010, Somerset County Cricket Club officially reopened 'The Colin Atkinson Pavilion' after undergoing GBP1.25 million ($1.8 million) of redevelopment to enhance the capacity to 15,000 capacity and making the venue capable of hosting Test matches.
The pitch at the County Ground is surrounded by a number of stands and pavilions. The members' areas, situated at the River End of the ground consists of the Colin Atkinson
Pavilion, the Sir Ian Botham
Stand and the Marcus Trescothick
stand. The non-members' areas, covering the rest of the ground consists of the front of main scoreboard stand, the Family Stand, St James Street Stand, Old Pavilion, Gimblett
's Hill and the Somerset Stand.
The largest stand at the County Ground is the Somerset Stand, which was opened at the start of the 2009 season. The stand was built as the first stage of a ground development project, and can accommodate over 3,000 spectators. Behind the Somerset Stand is the Pegasus Court development, containing 65 luxury retirement apartments overlooking the cricket ground. The Old Pavilion is located at the southern end of the ground, and has a small number of seats on its upper tier. On the ground floor, it houses a bar and restaurant. Between the Old Pavilion and the Somerset Stand is Gimblett's Hill, an area that backs onto the churchyard of St. James Church. This section of the ground has a small number of wooden benches at ground-level. To the east of the Old Pavilion is St James Street Stand, a covered section of the ground with a shallow incline.
The eastern side of the ground holds both the Family Stand and the front of main scoreboard stand. Between the two are the Ondaatje
Pavilion and the Andy Caddick pavilion, the newest of the pavilions on the ground, and the one currently that currently houses the team's changing room facilities. To the north of the front of main scoreboard stand is the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. A member's area, this has a small number of seats and accommodates the member's bar and restaurant. The second tier, formerly the player's changing rooms, has been converted into a Long Room which seats over 180 spectators. The Sir Ian Botham Stand is at the northern end of the ground, and provides covered member's seating. To the west of this is the Marcus Trescothick Stand, which was opened in June 2008.
Scoreboards are located in the north-east and south-west of the ground, and in addition to the restaurant facilities in the Old Pavilion and the Colin Atkinson Pavilion, food outlets are also located in the Somerset Stand, the Sir Ian Botham Stand and the front of the main scoreboard. The club shop is situated behind the St James Street Stand.
The feasibility study found that both through financial deliberations and the great assistance offered by Taunton Deane Borough Council
, that Chairman Giles Clarke announced in April 2006 that the long term future lies at the County Ground. The project costs total approximately £60 million and will deliver a cricket capacity of up to 15,000. It commenced on January 17, 2008 In order for the club to remain financially viable, the development is to be conducted in phases in order to allow cricket and other club business to proceed with minimal interruption. Also, in order to fit an international standard pitch on site, it is necessary to increase the boundaries:
to a sell-out 23,000 crowd. Elton John's dedication of one of his songs to Ian Botham revealed the retired English cricketer to be in the audience, watching from his namesake pavilion.
In October 2008, as part of Marcus Trescothick
's benefit season, the ground was converted into a baseball field, and a team of cricketers led by Trescothick, known as 'Marcus Trescothick’s Bangers' took on the Great Britain national baseball team
. Great Britain won 21–1.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground in Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. It is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, who have played there since 1882. The ground, which is located between Priory Bridge Road and St. James Street in Taunton has a capacity in excess of 6,500. The ground was originally built as part of a sports centre by Taunton Athletic Club in 1881, and became the home of the previously nomadic Somerset County Cricket Club soon after. After leasing the ground for ten years, the club bought the ground in 1896, under the guidance of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon. The ground ends are the River End to the north and the Old Pavilion End to the south.
Somerset played their first match of first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
on the ground over 8–10 August 1882, beating Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
by five wickets. Later in the same month, the touring Australia national cricket team played a match against Somerset, becoming the first international side to play at the ground. The first international cricket to be played on the ground was during the 1983 Cricket World Cup
1983 Cricket World Cup
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each...
, for a group-stage match between England and Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted two group-stage matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup
1999 Cricket World Cup
-England:-Outside England:-Group A:-Results:-------------------------------------------------------------Group B:-Results:------------------------------------------------------------...
. Since 1997, women's international cricket has been played at the ground, and in 2006 it became the home of the England women's cricket team.
History
In the winter of 1880, Somerset County Cricket ClubSomerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, prompted by an article in the Somerset County Gazette
Somerset County Gazette
The Somerset County Gazette is a weekly tabloid newspaper in Somerset, England.It is published in a tabloid format on a weekly basis and has a circulation of between 25,000 and 50,000.It was founded in 1836, and is now owned by Newsquest....
describing cricket in Taunton as being "in a sorry plight", were considering building their own ground. Athletics was booming in the town, and it was an amalgamation of sporting clubs that leased seven and a half acres of land known as "Rack Field" from local gentleman farmer John Winter for £50 per year. A cricket pitch, cycling-track and running-track were all laid on the ground with great difficulty; with the land lying next to the River Tone
River Tone
The River Tone is a river in Somerset, England, which is about long. It rises at Beverton Pond near Huish Champflower in the Brendon Hills, and is dammed at Clatworthy Reservoir. The reservoir outfall continues through Taunton and Curry and Hay Moors, which are designated as a Site of Special...
. Although Edward Western promised that Somerset could play fixtures on the ground, he acknowledged that the cricket pitch belonged to Taunton Cricket Club. The new sports centre was opened on Whit Monday
Whit Monday
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a movable feast in the Christian calendar. It is movable because it is determined by the date of Easter....
1881, with an athletics fixture held on the newly laid running-track to mark the occasion. Although some cricket was played at the ground in 1881, it was not yet ready for first-class matches. Taunton Athletic Society, thanks to money raised by Western, funded the erection of a grandstand and pavilion on the ground ready for a 15-mile bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
race between French champion Frédéric De Civry and John Keen
John Keen (cyclist)
John Thompson Keen was born on 25 February 1849 at Broadway in the county of Worcestershire, England, and lived in Surbiton, Surrey from the age of five...
in August 1881.
Known as the Taunton Athletic Ground, Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
played their maiden first-class game there in 1882. Originally a nomadic club, Somerset played their home matches across the county, relying on the good will of other people. Four first-class matches were played at the ground in 1882; after a five-wicket victory over Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in the first match, Somerset failed to win any of the remaining games, culminating in an innings and 19 run loss against the touring Australians. Somerset lost their briefly held first-class status in 1886, but in the same year took out a nineteen-year lease on the Athletic Ground. The more loyal members of the club had decided that there was a need to restructure the club and have a permanent home. Somerset regained their first-class status after an unbeaten season in 1890
Somerset County Cricket Club in 1890
The 1890 season saw Somerset County Cricket Club playing thirteen fixtures against other county teams. These matches were not considered first-class, after Somerset had five years earlier been removed from the County Championship due to playing too few matches against other first-class counties...
, winning the so called 'Second-class County Championship'. The first official County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match was played at the ground in 1891, a nine-wicket loss to Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. In 1896, ten years after taking out the lease on the ground, the freehold was purchased by the club for £2,000. Under the administration of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon, the small ground was developed, with trees planted along the boundary.
By the start of the twentieth century, the ground was, according to Roebuck, "an intimate and lovely place". A section of the ground known as the "Hen Coop" was used by the important families in Taunton, and although there were no official seat reservations, no one else occupied these seats in the absence of their regular user. For the less well off, hard benches were placed around much of the ground, and the floor was used by many others, particularly under some chestnut trees
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
. A public bar was erected soon after, and was well used, especially after the First World War. In 1925, some of the seats were removed in one corner of the ground, and a hill was built to provide a superior view of the ground, using 400 lorry-loads of earth. During the Second World War, the ground, like many others in the country, was lent to the military. It was used by local soldiers and firemen alike, but the groundsman was careful to maintain the cricket surface throughout the war, in preparation for use again at its conclusion.
In 1989 the Somerset Cricket Museum
Somerset Cricket Museum
Somerset Cricket Museum in Taunton, Somerset, England is a small museum housing exhibits on the history of cricket with a particular emphasis on the history of Somerset County Cricket Club.-Building:...
was opened at the ground within the Old Priory Barn, a Grade II* listed building. The exhibits and displays in the museum primarily cover the cricket club's history including Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
players such as Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
and Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
. It also has a section devoted to the England women's cricket team, due to the County Ground being their headquarters. The museum also hosts a collection of I Zingari
I Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
memorabilia, a club to whom current chairman Charles Clive Ponsonby-Fane has strong family links.
In June 2010, Somerset County Cricket Club officially reopened 'The Colin Atkinson Pavilion' after undergoing GBP1.25 million ($1.8 million) of redevelopment to enhance the capacity to 15,000 capacity and making the venue capable of hosting Test matches.
Structure and facilities
Colin Atkinson
Colin Ronald Michael Atkinson CBE - Cricketer, schoolmaster and headmaster of Millfield School....
Pavilion, the Sir Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
Stand and the Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
stand. The non-members' areas, covering the rest of the ground consists of the front of main scoreboard stand, the Family Stand, St James Street Stand, Old Pavilion, Gimblett
Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. He was known for his fast scoring as an opening batsman and for the much-repeated story of his debut...
's Hill and the Somerset Stand.
The largest stand at the County Ground is the Somerset Stand, which was opened at the start of the 2009 season. The stand was built as the first stage of a ground development project, and can accommodate over 3,000 spectators. Behind the Somerset Stand is the Pegasus Court development, containing 65 luxury retirement apartments overlooking the cricket ground. The Old Pavilion is located at the southern end of the ground, and has a small number of seats on its upper tier. On the ground floor, it houses a bar and restaurant. Between the Old Pavilion and the Somerset Stand is Gimblett's Hill, an area that backs onto the churchyard of St. James Church. This section of the ground has a small number of wooden benches at ground-level. To the east of the Old Pavilion is St James Street Stand, a covered section of the ground with a shallow incline.
The eastern side of the ground holds both the Family Stand and the front of main scoreboard stand. Between the two are the Ondaatje
Christopher Ondaatje
Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE is a Sri Lankan-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and Olympian. He lives in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
Pavilion and the Andy Caddick pavilion, the newest of the pavilions on the ground, and the one currently that currently houses the team's changing room facilities. To the north of the front of main scoreboard stand is the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. A member's area, this has a small number of seats and accommodates the member's bar and restaurant. The second tier, formerly the player's changing rooms, has been converted into a Long Room which seats over 180 spectators. The Sir Ian Botham Stand is at the northern end of the ground, and provides covered member's seating. To the west of this is the Marcus Trescothick Stand, which was opened in June 2008.
Scoreboards are located in the north-east and south-west of the ground, and in addition to the restaurant facilities in the Old Pavilion and the Colin Atkinson Pavilion, food outlets are also located in the Somerset Stand, the Sir Ian Botham Stand and the front of the main scoreboard. The club shop is situated behind the St James Street Stand.
Development
After a long debate by Somerset members on the future location of the cricket club, or redevelopment of the existing ground, the club obtained a grant from the South West Regional Development Agency to fund a feasibility study. The aim of the study was to identify how the development of a new stadium could guarantee the future long-term well-being of Somerset CCC through the construction of modern international standard cricket facilities.The feasibility study found that both through financial deliberations and the great assistance offered by Taunton Deane Borough Council
Taunton Deane
Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. Its council is based in Taunton.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the Municipal Borough of Taunton, Wellington Urban District, Taunton Rural District,...
, that Chairman Giles Clarke announced in April 2006 that the long term future lies at the County Ground. The project costs total approximately £60 million and will deliver a cricket capacity of up to 15,000. It commenced on January 17, 2008 In order for the club to remain financially viable, the development is to be conducted in phases in order to allow cricket and other club business to proceed with minimal interruption. Also, in order to fit an international standard pitch on site, it is necessary to increase the boundaries:
- Phase 1 - was completed in time for Taunton to be a venue for the 2009 ICCInternational Cricket CouncilThe International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
Twenty20 World Championship. It incorporates a new stand with a capacity for 3,000 seats. Additionally there will be a residential development and commercial units fronting on to the town centre - Phase 2 - will see the development of a new South Stand, and media facilities required for International and First Class Cricket. There will be a new and improved indoor school with glass walls facing on to St James Street, as well as other multi sport facilities available to the public. In addition to some residential opportunities this phase will also include a reception area, café, new club shop and other commercial facilities
- Phase 3 - is part of the plans for the Taunton Vision Firepool redevelopment. As well as a new stand and extensive corporate facilities the study has also concluded that the development of a major conference and banqueting facility would be of great benefit to the South West regionSouth West EnglandSouth West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
. There will be a low level multi-story car park with club and commercial office space in the tower above
Other uses
On 18 June 2006, the Cricket Ground hosted an open air concert by Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
to a sell-out 23,000 crowd. Elton John's dedication of one of his songs to Ian Botham revealed the retired English cricketer to be in the audience, watching from his namesake pavilion.
In October 2008, as part of Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
's benefit season, the ground was converted into a baseball field, and a team of cricketers led by Trescothick, known as 'Marcus Trescothick’s Bangers' took on the Great Britain national baseball team
Great Britain national baseball team
The Great Britain national baseball team is the national baseball team of Great Britain. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation, which is a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball.-History:...
. Great Britain won 21–1.