Racecourse Ground, Hereford
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| Ground information | |||||
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| Location | Hereford, Herefordshire | ||||
| Coordinates | 52°04′06″N 2°43′43″W / 52.0683°N 2.7286°W | ||||
| Establishment | 1909 | ||||
| End names | |||||
| Pavilion End Racecourse End | |||||
| Team information | |||||
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| As of 28 July 2013 Source: Ground profile | |||||
The Racecourse Ground is a cricket ground in Hereford. The ground is located inside Hereford Racecourse and is the only remaining former first-class cricket venue in England which lies inside a racecourse. It played host to first-class and List A cricket matches for Worcestershire County Cricket Club between 1919 and 1988, and minor counties matches for Herefordshire County Cricket Club from 1992 to 1996.
History[edit]
The cricket ground lies within Hereford Racecourse and was established in 1909.[1] It first held a first-class match ten years later when Worcestershire played HK Foster's XI in 1919,[2] played as part of the county's first-class programme after they decided not to enter the County Championship immediately after the First World War.[1] Worcestershire's Humphrey Gilbert claimed 12 wickets in the match for 122 runs.[3] The ground staged a further first-class match in 1919, when the Australian Imperial Forces cricket team visited to play HK Foster's XI,[2] with the Australians Johnny Taylor scoring 138 runs in the Australian Imperial Forces first innings of 405 all out.[4] Worcestershire returned to ground following the Second World War, playing a first-class match against the Combined Services in 1947;[2] Worcestershire's Roly Jenkins and Dick Howorth each taking a five wicket haul in the Combined Services first innings.[5] It would be 34 years before Worcestershire returned to using the Racecourse Ground as an outground, with it hosting one County Championship match each in 1981, 1982 and 1983.[2] Worcestershire played four List A one-day matches at the ground between 1983 and 1987 in the John Player Special League and Refuge Assurance League.[6] The ground was selected as one of the host venues for the 1986 ICC Trophy, a World Cup qualifying competition for associate members of the International Cricket Council. It hosted one game between Argentina and Bangladesh.[7] Following Durham's elevation to first-class status in 1991, Herefordshire replaced them in the Minor Counties Championship for 1992. Between 1992 and 1996, Herefordshire played six Minor Counties Championship matches at the ground,[8] in addition to one match in the 1993 MCCA Knockout Trophy.[9]
County matches typically attracted around 4,000 people, with a Refuge Assurance League match between Worcestershire and Surrey which featured Ian Botham and Tim Curtis seeing 7,500 attend.[1] The pavilion, which was built in 1889, is located some way from the playing surface, which is accessed across the track itself. As such, players watch matches from a tent, which adjoined the scorers' and press tent in the south-west of the ground. On major matchdays the north-west of the ground was given to match sponsors and accommodated tents and a double-decker bus. There are two scoreboards at the ground; a permanent one adjoining the main pavilion and a temporary scoreboard closer to the playing area.[1] Following the closure of Derby Racecourse in 1939, the Racecourse Ground became the only first-class ground in England to enclosed by a racecourse.[1]
Records[edit]
First-class[edit]
- Highest team total: 405 all out by Australian Imperial Forces v HK Foster's XI, 1919[2]
- Lowest team total: 84 all out by Worcestershire v Combined Services, 1947[10]
- Highest individual innings: 138 not out by Johnny Taylor for Australian Imperial Forces v HK Foster's XI, 1919[11]
- Best bowling in an innings: 6-50 by Humphrey Gilbert for HK Foster's XI v Worcestershire, 1919[1]
- Best bowling in a match: 12-122 by Humphrey Gilbert, as above[12]
List A[edit]
- Highest team total: 233 for 6 by Worcestershire v Gloucestershire, 1986[1]
- Lowest team total: 154 all out by Surrey v Worcestershire, 1987[1]
- Highest individual innings: 108 by Jack Russell for Gloucestershire v Worcestershire, 1986[13]
- Best bowling in an innings: 3-23 by Paul Pridgeon for Worcestershire v Gloucestershire, 1986[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Powell, William (1989). The Wisden Guides To Cricket Grounds. London: Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd. pp. 354–7. ISBN 009173830X.
- ^ a b c d e "First-Class Matches played on Racecourse Ground, Hereford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Worcestershire v HK Foster's XI, 1919". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "HK Foster's XI v Australian Imperial Forces, 1919". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Combined Services, 1947". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "List A Matches played on Racecourse Ground, Hereford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "ICC Trophy Matches played on Racecourse Ground, Hereford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played on Racecourse Ground, Hereford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Minor Counties Trophy Matches played on Racecourse Ground, Hereford". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Racecourse Ground, Hereford - Lowest Team Totals in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Racecourse Ground, Hereford - Centuries in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Racecourse Ground, Hereford - Most Wickets in a Match in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Racecourse Ground, Hereford - Centuries in List A matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2021.