Old County Ground
Encyclopedia
The Old County Ground was a first-class
cricket
ground, located in West Malling
, Kent
. Known under various names throughout its existence, the ground hosted 14 first-class matches between 1836 and 1890.
attracted 8000 spectators. The ground acquired the batsman Fuller Pilch
as its groundsman in 1835, after a consortium including Selby, Norton and the second Baron Harris
had offered him £100 a year to play for the club, manage the ground and the adjoining public house
.
First-class cricket was first played on the ground in 1836, when Kent
took on Sussex. Pilch himself played for the Kent side, which lost by 32 runs on the second day of the three-day match. First-class matches were played on the ground every year until 1841, including three Kent v England matches. The first of these was a benefit match
for Pilch, and saw Kent defeat England by just two runs. However, by 1842 the county club had moved to new headquarters
in Canterbury
, and first-class cricket would not return to Town Malling until 1878.
When county cricket did return to the Old County Ground, several Kent players were critical of the ground. Francis MacKinnon
complained of having to change in an oast house
, with access via a stepladder
, while William Patterson
found "neither the gate nor the accommodation satisfactory". As a result, Kent's match with Sussex in 1890 was the last first-class fixture played on the ground.
in 1929. It is still in use by Town Malling Cricket Club, who negotiated a 35-year lease with the council in 1987, with the option of purchasing the ground should the council wish to sell it. A new pavilion was opened by Richard Ellison in 1992.
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...
cricket
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, located in West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
, 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...
. Known under various names throughout its existence, the ground hosted 14 first-class matches between 1836 and 1890.
History
The ground was first used in 1827, when Town Malling Cricket Club was formed by Thomas Selby and business partner Silas Norton. Originally known as the New Cricket Ground, by 1830 the ground had become known as the "George Field", when a match between Town Malling and BenendenBenenden
Benenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald six miles to the west of Tenterden...
attracted 8000 spectators. The ground acquired the batsman Fuller Pilch
Fuller Pilch
Fuller Pilch was an English cricketer. Described as "the greatest batsman ever known until the appearance of W. G. Grace", the right-hand batting Pilch played 229 first class cricket matches between 1820 and 1854 for an assortment of counties, including Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Surrey, as well...
as its groundsman in 1835, after a consortium including Selby, Norton and the second Baron Harris
William Harris, 2nd Baron Harris
William George Harris, 2nd Baron Harris KCH was a British soldier and peer.Harris was the son of George Harris, 1st Baron Harris.He fought under his father during the siege and capture of Seringapatam in 1799 at the age of 17...
had offered him £100 a year to play for the club, manage the ground and the adjoining public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
.
First-class cricket was first played on the ground in 1836, when Kent
Kent county cricket teams
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is the birthplace of the sport...
took on Sussex. Pilch himself played for the Kent side, which lost by 32 runs on the second day of the three-day match. First-class matches were played on the ground every year until 1841, including three Kent v England matches. The first of these was a benefit match
Benefit season
A benefit season is a method of financially rewarding professional cricketers that is used by English county cricket teams to compensate long serving players....
for Pilch, and saw Kent defeat England by just two runs. However, by 1842 the county club had moved to new headquarters
St Lawrence Ground
The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847...
in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, and first-class cricket would not return to Town Malling until 1878.
When county cricket did return to the Old County Ground, several Kent players were critical of the ground. Francis MacKinnon
Francis MacKinnon
Francis Alexander MacKinnon, The 35th MacKinnon of MacKinnon was the longest-lived Test cricketer until being surpassed by Eric Tindill of New Zealand on 8 November 2009...
complained of having to change in an oast house
Oast house
An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture...
, with access via a stepladder
Ladder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
, while William Patterson
William Patterson (cricketer)
William Harry Patterson was an English amateur cricketer during the latter part of the 19th century. A right-handed batsman who occasionally bowled, he was the joint captain of Kent County Cricket Club between 1890 and 1893....
found "neither the gate nor the accommodation satisfactory". As a result, Kent's match with Sussex in 1890 was the last first-class fixture played on the ground.
Current ground
The ground was purchased by Kent County CouncilKent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
in 1929. It is still in use by Town Malling Cricket Club, who negotiated a 35-year lease with the council in 1987, with the option of purchasing the ground should the council wish to sell it. A new pavilion was opened by Richard Ellison in 1992.