List of Somerset County Cricket Club grounds

Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 member clubs of the English County Championship, representing the historic county of Somerset. The club was established in August 1875 and has played first-class cricket since 1882,[1] List A cricket since 1963,[2] and Twenty20 cricket since 2003.[3][a] Unlike most professional sports, in which a team usually has a single fixed home ground, county cricket clubs have traditionally used different grounds in various towns and cities within the county for home matches, although the use of minor "out grounds" has diminished since the 1980s.[4][5] Somerset have played first class, List A, or Twenty20 matches at eighteen different grounds.

The County Ground, Taunton, with two churches visible in the background.
The County Ground, Taunton is the headquarters of Somerset County Cricket Club, and has hosted the majority of their matches.

Somerset's first home first-class match was against Hampshire in 1882 at the County Ground, Taunton. This ground is the headquarters of the county club, and has hosted more Somerset matches than any other ground. It was originally known as the Taunton Athletic Ground, and featured a cycling/running track around the outside of the playing area which was later removed.[1] Prior to the cessation of cricket during the First World War, Somerset only played at three other grounds; two in Bath, and Clarence Park in Weston-super-Mare. The Recreation Ground in Bath, the home ground of Bath Rugby,[6] has been a regular setting for Somerset, hosting over 300 county matches. It is also Somerset's only venue other than the County Ground to have hosted a Twenty20 match.[3] Clarence Park also frequently hosted Somerset matches until 1996, and has featured over 200 Somerset games. The next most frequently used ground is Morlands Athletic Ground in Glastonbury, where Somerset played 24 times between 1952 and 1978.

After the First World War, Somerset began playing in a wider variety of locations around the county, including three different grounds in Yeovil, and also hosted five matches at the Recreation Ground in Torquay, despite that being in Devon. They played in three different grounds in Bristol, which has been considered an independent county since 1373, though it was part of the county of Avon from 1974 until 1996,[7] and where Gloucestershire County Cricket Club have their headquarters.[8] After 1979, Somerset only played at the County Ground, the Recreation Ground and Clarence Park until 2012, when they faced Cardiff MCC University at Taunton Vale, their first new ground in 37 years. Somerset have not played a county match outside of Taunton since 2011, when they faced Essex in a Twenty20 match in Bath.

Grounds

Below is a complete list of grounds used by Somerset County Cricket Club for first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches. Statistics are complete through to the end of the 2023 season. Only matches played by Somerset at the grounds are recorded in the table. Matches abandoned without any play occurring are not included.

NameLocationFirst-classList ATwenty20Refs
FirstLastMatchesFirstLastMatchesFirstLastMatches
County Ground
Taunton8 August 1882
v Hampshire
19 September 2023
v Kent
90927 May 1964
v Nottinghamshire
20 August 2023
v Glamorgan
39613 June 2003
v Warwickshire
7 July 2023
v Nottinghamshire
117[9][10][11][12][b]
Lansdown CC Ground,
Combe Park
Bath18 August 1884
v Hampshire
18 August 1884
v Hampshire
100[14][15][c]
Recreation Ground
Bath19 July 1897
v Gentlemen of Philadelphia
14 June 2006
v Surrey
2554 May 1969
v Kent
23 May 2010
v Worcestershire
564 July 2011
v Essex
4 July 2011
v Essex
1[16][17][18][19]
Clarence Park
Weston-super-Mare27 August 1914
v Yorkshire
21 August 1996
v Durham
19120 June 1971
v Yorkshire
25 August 1996
v Durham
230[20][21][22]
Knowle CC Ground
Bristol9 June 1926
v Hampshire
18 August 1928
v Essex
300[23][24]
Agricultural Showgrounds
Frome25 June 1932
v Northamptonshire
6 May 1961
v Hampshire
1828 June 1970
v Leicestershire
28 June 1970
v Leicestershire
10[25][26][27]
Downside School
Stratton-on-the-Fosse23 June 1934
v Glamorgan
23 June 1934
v Glamorgan
100[28][29]
Rowdens Road
Wells17 July 1935
v Worcestershire
25 July 1951
v Warwickshire
1100[30][31]
West HendfordYeovil17 August 1935
v Surrey
15 July 1939
v Lancashire
500[32][33]
Johnson ParkYeovil19 May 1951
v Nottinghamshire
29 July 1967
v Essex
1227 July 1969
v Essex
7 June 1970
v Warwickshire
20[34][35][36]
Morlands Athletic Ground
Glastonbury26 July 1952
v Northamptonshire
14 July 1973
v Nottinghamshire
1813 July 1969
v Nottinghamshire
16 July 1978
v Leicestershire
60[37][38][39]
Imperial Athletic GroundBristol21 August 1957
v Sussex
7 May 1966
v Hampshire
96 June 1971
v Gloucestershire
10 June 1979
v Gloucestershire
80[40][41][42]
Millfield School
Street29 July 1961
v Warwickshire
29 July 1961
v Warwickshire
110 May 1975
v Gloucestershire
3 July 1977
v Hampshire
20[43][44][45][d]
Devonshire Park
Weston-super-Mare027 April 1969
v Leicestershire
9 August 1970
v Kent
20[46][47]
Ironmould Lane
Bristol015 June 1969
v Surrey
21 June 1970
v Derbyshire
20[48][49]
Recreation Ground
Torquay, Devon024 August 1969
v Sussex
13 July 1975
v Northamptonshire
50[50][51][e]
Westlands Sports Ground
Yeovil023 May 1971
v Lancashire
21 May 1978
v Surrey
80[53][54]
Taunton Vale
Taunton31 March 2012
v Cardiff MCCU
2 April 2015
v Durham MCCU
200[55][56][f]

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Powell, William A. (2003). The Official ECB Guide to Cricket Grounds. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3084-5.