Category: Outgrounds

Pictures and Posts of Outgrounds

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John Player League (JPL) games at Torquay

Article contributed by Mr Mark Sands.

The JPL provided counties with the opportunity to take matches away from their headquarters and visit outgrounds with the aim of attracting new members and supporters. On occasion, the outgrounds were so ‘out’ that they lay beyond the county boundary.  

The Recreation Ground, Torquay first hosted a JPL fixture in August 1969, with Somerset defeating Sussex by 4 wickets. The pitch, to put it mildly, favoured the bowlers, as Sussex would testify at 54/8 after being put in to bat (3 wickets each for Burgess and Roberts), before the final 2 Sussex wickets more than doubled the score, mainly due to Bates who was run out from the final ball of the 40 over allocation for 38, Sussex all out 114. With Somerset 16/3 in reply, the game was in the balance. Virgin and Denning added 39 to settle the home supporters nerves, but when both fell in quick succession, there remained work to be done at 80/6. Rose and Robinson kept their composure to guide Somerset to victory with 8 balls to spare.

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Glastonbury as an Out-Ground

We are very grateful to Mr. Colin Crees for this article on the use of the Glastonbury CC as an Out-Ground by Somerset County Cricket Club.

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Rowdens Road – Wells

We are very grateful to Mr. Colin Crees for this article on the use of the Athletic Field at Rowdens Road, Wells as an Out-Ground by Somerset County Cricket Clubhouse .

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The Out-Grounds in Yeovil

Somerset County Cricket Club was first formed in August 1875 and originally the idea of those who had formed the County Club was not to have a home ground, but to take their matches to different grounds around Somerset and the photograph below shows the field off West Hendford, at the time a simple track beyond Beer Street, between the allotments and the Westland factory complex, which was the Somerset County Cricket ground for five First-class matches between 1935 and 1939. Cricket had clearly been played on this field for decades since in the 1901 census West Hendford was referred to as Cricket Lane. 

Both Johnson Park and Westland Sports Club were later used as out-grounds, the former for twelve First-class matches played between 1951 and 1957 and two List A matches in 1969 and 1970 and the latter for eight List A Sunday League matches between 1971 and 1978.

Reference and photograph courtesy of Yeovilhistory.info

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Recreation Ground, Torquay

Somerset CCC have used many out grounds over the years but with the exception of one all have been within the current and / or historic county boundaries of Somerset within reason.  The one exception and therefore unique is The Recreation Ground Torquay, the home of Torquay CC, which between 1969 and 1975 played host to an annual Sunday League Match (under two different sponsors titles).

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