College Park, Dublin
Encyclopedia
College Park is a cricket
ground in the grounds of Trinity College, Dublin
in the Republic of Ireland
and is the home ground of Dublin University Cricket Club
. A cricket match at Trinity College was mentioned in a poem 1820s between a team from Ballinasloe playing "the Collegians", although whether this match was played on the present ground is not known. The first recorded mention of cricket on the present ground dates from 1868, when Ireland played an All-England Eleven
in a non first-class fixture.
The ground is where Dublin University Cricket Club
play their home matches, during the time when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom
, the club held a great influence over Irish cricket, and the ground was considered the centre of cricket in Ireland. The cricket club once had first-class
status, it was in 1895 that the ground held its first first-class match between Dublin University and the Marylebone Cricket Club
. Ireland first used the ground for a first-class fixture in 1907 against the touring South Africans. With the Partition of Ireland
in 1922, cricket lost much of its standing in the newly created Republic of Ireland, Dublin University suffered too with the subsequent decline of the sport in the Republic. Nevertheless, the ground continued to host touring sides and English county sides
, with 1926 seeing Dublin University play its third and final first-class fixture against Northamptonshire
.
The ground continued to host first-class fixtures until 1961, the year in which the 28th and final first-class fixture to date to be held there between Ireland and the Marylebone Cricket Club was played. Decades later the ground made history in 2000 by playing host to Ireland women's first Women's Test match
against Pakistan women, which Ireland women won by an innings and 54 runs. Despite as of 2011 still holding Test status, this remains Ireland women's only Test appearance. College Park has also held Women's One Day International cricket, the first match of that type being played there in 1987 between Ireland Women and Australia women. To date the ground has played host to ten Women's One Day Internationals, the last of which was between Ireland women and Australia women in 2005.
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 the grounds of Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and is the home ground of Dublin University Cricket Club
Dublin University Cricket Club
Dublin University Cricket Club is a cricket team in Ireland. They currently play in the Leinster Senior League, and in the past had first-class status, and played against several sides that were touring England, including the Australians , South Africans and West Indians .Their first first-class...
. A cricket match at Trinity College was mentioned in a poem 1820s between a team from Ballinasloe playing "the Collegians", although whether this match was played on the present ground is not known. The first recorded mention of cricket on the present ground dates from 1868, when Ireland played an All-England Eleven
All-England Eleven
In cricket, the term All-England has been used for various non-international teams that have been formed for short-term purposes since the 1739 English cricket season and it indicates that the "Rest of England" is playing against, say, MCC or an individual county team...
in a non first-class fixture.
The ground is where Dublin University Cricket Club
Dublin University Cricket Club
Dublin University Cricket Club is a cricket team in Ireland. They currently play in the Leinster Senior League, and in the past had first-class status, and played against several sides that were touring England, including the Australians , South Africans and West Indians .Their first first-class...
play their home matches, during the time when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, the club held a great influence over Irish cricket, and the ground was considered the centre of cricket in Ireland. The cricket club once had first-class
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...
status, it was in 1895 that the ground held its first first-class match between Dublin University and the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
. Ireland first used the ground for a first-class fixture in 1907 against the touring South Africans. With the Partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
in 1922, cricket lost much of its standing in the newly created Republic of Ireland, Dublin University suffered too with the subsequent decline of the sport in the Republic. Nevertheless, the ground continued to host touring sides and English county sides
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
, with 1926 seeing Dublin University play its third and final first-class fixture against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
.
The ground continued to host first-class fixtures until 1961, the year in which the 28th and final first-class fixture to date to be held there between Ireland and the Marylebone Cricket Club was played. Decades later the ground made history in 2000 by playing host to Ireland women's first Women's Test match
Women's Test cricket
Women's Test cricket is the longest format of women's cricket and is the gender equivalent to men's Test cricket. Matches comprise four-innings and are held over a maximum of four days between two of the leading cricketing nations...
against Pakistan women, which Ireland women won by an innings and 54 runs. Despite as of 2011 still holding Test status, this remains Ireland women's only Test appearance. College Park has also held Women's One Day International cricket, the first match of that type being played there in 1987 between Ireland Women and Australia women. To date the ground has played host to ten Women's One Day Internationals, the last of which was between Ireland women and Australia women in 2005.
External links
- College Park at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...