Mote Park (cricket ground)
Encyclopedia
Mote Park is a cricket ground in Maidstone
, Kent
, England
. It is inside the grounds of the Mote Park
. It is owned by The Mote Cricket Club and is also used by Maidstone RFC. Up until 2005, it was also occasionally used by Kent County Cricket Club
as one of their outgrounds.
at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1908, Viscount Bearstead oversaw the levelling of the original playing area to form the middle of three terraces (the upper and lower levels became rugby pitches) and the wicket
was moved to its current position, perpendicular to the original orientation.
In 1910, two permanent buildings were opened. The pavilion
which contains the players' dressing rooms and covered seating. The other building is The Tabernacle. Apart from some restoration work, the ground otherwise still resembles the facility constructed in the early 20th century.
The ground continued to be used by the county side for an annual cricket week until the end of the 2005 season
. After 140 consecutive years of play, Mote Park was taken off the list of county grounds used by Kent when an over-watered 'green' wicket, prepared for the County Championship match against Gloucestershire
, led to a low scoring game which ended after less than 2 days and a subsequent 8 point points deduction for Kent. The facilities had only months before been approved for redevelopment as part of a larger scheme to increase the profile of cricket in the county town. Since that time, The Mote Cricket Club have relaid a number of wickets at a cost of £14,000 with the help of grants and technical assistance from the County Cricket Club and Maidstone Borough Council, and it is hoped this will allow the return of county cricket in the near future.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is inside the grounds of the Mote Park
Mote Park
Mote Park is a 180 hectare multi-use public park in Maidstone, Kent. Previously a country estate it was converted to landscaped park land at the end of the 18th century before becoming a municipal park. It includes the former stately home Mote House together with a miniature railway, pitch and putt...
. It is owned by The Mote Cricket Club and is also used by Maidstone RFC. Up until 2005, it was also occasionally used by Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
as one of their outgrounds.
History
The first Kent match at The Mote was in 1859, two years after the founding of The Mote Cricket Club. However, visits by Kent to The Mote were limited until the intervention of Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount BearstedMarcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted
Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted JP , known as Sir Marcus Samuel, 1st Baronet between 1903 and 1921 and subsequently as The Lord Bearsted until 1925, was the founder of the Shell Transport and Trading Company, a precursor to Royal Dutch Shell.-Career:Samuel was born into a Jewish family in...
at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1908, Viscount Bearstead oversaw the levelling of the original playing area to form the middle of three terraces (the upper and lower levels became rugby pitches) and the wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
was moved to its current position, perpendicular to the original orientation.
In 1910, two permanent buildings were opened. The pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
which contains the players' dressing rooms and covered seating. The other building is The Tabernacle. Apart from some restoration work, the ground otherwise still resembles the facility constructed in the early 20th century.
The ground continued to be used by the county side for an annual cricket week until the end of the 2005 season
2005 English cricket season
Before the beginning of the 2005 English cricket season began, a resurgent English cricket team had won four Test series in a row, going unbeaten through the 2004 calendar year. The start of the international season saw England defeat Bangladesh 2–0 in their two-match series, winning both Tests by...
. After 140 consecutive years of play, Mote Park was taken off the list of county grounds used by Kent when an over-watered 'green' wicket, prepared for the County Championship match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
, led to a low scoring game which ended after less than 2 days and a subsequent 8 point points deduction for Kent. The facilities had only months before been approved for redevelopment as part of a larger scheme to increase the profile of cricket in the county town. Since that time, The Mote Cricket Club have relaid a number of wickets at a cost of £14,000 with the help of grants and technical assistance from the County Cricket Club and Maidstone Borough Council, and it is hoped this will allow the return of county cricket in the near future.
Notable cricket performances
- Kent County Cricket Club's highest partnership for any wicket in first-class cricket was made at Mote Park during the 1995 season with Aravinda de SilvaAravinda de SilvaPinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who is considered one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.He is also regarded as one of the most elegant batsman in his generation, and to date is the only player to make a hundred and take 3 or more wickets in a world cup...
and Graham CowdreyGraham CowdreyThe Honourable Graham Robert Cowdrey was an English cricketer. His nickname of "Van" came from Van Morrison, Cowdrey's favourite musician....
scoring 368. - In 1910, C. Blythe and F.E. Woolley bowled unchanged throughout both innings of a fixture with Yorkshire County Cricket ClubYorkshire County Cricket ClubYorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
repeating a performance from 1889, also against Yorkshire by bowlers W. Wright and F. Martin. - In 1995 Mark EalhamMark EalhamMark Alan Ealham is a retired English cricketer, who played domestic cricket for Kent C.C.C. and Nottinghamshire C.C.C.. He is an all-rounder and is a former England international at both Test and one-day cricket....
made the fastest century in the history of the 40-over game. In 44 balls, Ealham scored a hundred, with 9 sixes and 9 fours.