Hampshire Cricket History


At Your Service
May 18, 2017, 9:04 pm
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I promised David some bits & pieces about Aldershot so here’s a gentle start (Bob will have photos of these grounds)

Hampshire played first class county matches on the United Services Ground, Portsmouth (throughout the 20th century). the Greenjackets Ground, Winchester (one match, 1875) and the Officers Club Ground, Aldershot. I think that’s it for our home grounds, ‘borrowed’ from the Army or Navy but I wonder whether any other county has such a record?

The last first-class match at Aldershot was not inter-county, it was the Combined Services v Oxford University in 1964. Richard Gilliat played for the students and while he scored just nine & 19, his side won easily.

10 Comments

10 Comments

Thanks for that Dave, I have fond memories of my late uncle Peter Briggs who was a Hampshire member for many years going to the army grounds around Aldershot to watch either the Hampshire team or certain hants players against the services I shall try and get some more precise info on this and let you know.

Comment by Dave Eckett May 18, 2017 @ 9:18 pm

Dave E
The pavilions I found around Aldershot Garrison are The Officers Club Ground and its adjacent ‘Nursery’ ground, the Wavell Ground in Queens Avenue (now a tennis club), and the one in Buller Barracks that is locked away and due for housing development. If you know of any more I would like to hear, but there is unlikely to be a second edition!
Bob

Comment by Bob Elliott May 18, 2017 @ 9:51 pm

Thanks Bob very interesting.

Comment by Dave Eckett May 19, 2017 @ 7:30 am

Hi Dave,
I am sure all readers of your blogs are thankful that you have not quit, given that ‘change’ at the Abracadaba Bowl has shrunk your role and status. But your music plays on – so keep on a singin’ Dave!

Two quickies: 1. Middlesex at RAF ground,.Vine Lane, Uxbridge? Incidentally, 2017 is the last season at Vine Lane before new houses are built on the ground.
2. On the subject of 24/134 days of ‘proper’ cricket remaining this season on HOME grounds I checked the 1954 handbook (1953 season) starting May 20th. Check my maths Dave but I make the ratio 42/100. Analysis of total runs per innings for both teams ( on home grounds in 1953): under 100/11; 100-200/20; 200-300/14; 300-400/3; over 400 nil. Ah! Forever Changes!
Punchy.

Comment by Alan Rayment May 19, 2017 @ 8:21 am

Cheers Alan. We know that in the 19th century, the government built lots of services sports grounds to improve fitness of their soldiers, sailors and marines. So I wonder whether any other counties ever played on any of them?

Comment by Dave Allen May 19, 2017 @ 6:22 pm

Play due to start at 11.45 at Chelmsford with us electing to bowl. Crane in with Adams and Topley left out of the thirteen so Ervine the fourth seamer (and cover for Fidel!) after being overlooked in the recent one-day games. Strange.

Comment by James May 19, 2017 @ 10:41 am

The way I read it, with Crane in, is that they think it is a 3 seamer/2 spin game.

Comment by John West May 19, 2017 @ 12:51 pm

Well I would hope they do as they picked that line up! I just hope our three seamers stay fit (which hasn’t been the case in most of our longer format games this season) and our spinners bowl well in the wet conditions.

Comment by James May 19, 2017 @ 1:07 pm

I guess that all being well, they knew they could bowl fourth when Crane might be vital. The previous two Championship matches were at home, although it transpired that we could have done with Mason …

Comment by pompeypop May 19, 2017 @ 1:15 pm

But as we chose not to have a toss we knew we would be bowling first and third before the teams were nominated.

(By the way I’m not against Crane playing my surprise is in the ever-changing status of Ervine as a bowler and a concern about the ability of our three main seamers to stay fit).

Comment by James May 19, 2017 @ 6:26 pm


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