There are 18 first-class county headquarters in Britain, and Mail Sport’s Lawrence Sales space has been to all of them – many occasions over.
Right here, he ranks them so as of non-public desire, ranging from the underside up.
18th: Grace Highway, Leicestershire
Few grounds in England get a worse press, and it’s true that the Meet – the shed-like edifice the place you’ll be able to marvel at Joey, the stuffed fox bearing an equally lifeless hen in its mouth – hasn’t at all times lifted the spirits.
Grace Highway is surprisingly huge: the taking part in space is claimed to be the second-biggest on this planet, behind the MCG. And the historical past is healthier than many realise: Leicestershire have received three championship titles, greater than 5 different groups. And for some time, when the membership received three T20 competitions, the ambiance was rocking.
It simply hasn’t occurred fairly often after I’ve been there…
Grace Highway’s taking part in space is claimed to be the second greatest on this planet behind the MCG
seventeenth: Derby, Derbyshire
Tucked in beside a busy roundabout and the A61, Derbyshire’s primary residence might lack the allure of Chesterfield – the place the membership nonetheless stage an annual pageant – nevertheless it retains a down-to-earth character of its personal. All of us bear in mind our first time, and mine – as a county reporter – got here right here in 2001. It was the day after 9/11, which meant Derbyshire v Warwickshire in late September felt even much less important than regular. My report was 120 phrases: the identical size as this paragraph, and 14 greater than the house aspect managed of their first innings, because of a career-best six for 50 from Sky Sports activities’ Charlie Dagnall. Again then, canines had been allowed to be members, although even they stayed away that day.
Derbyshire’s primary residence lacks the allure of Chesterfield, however has down-to-earth character
sixteenth: Headingley, Yorkshire
England’s most profitable county doesn’t, let’s be sincere, have its most tasty HQ, although you won’t say that to a Yorkshireman’s face.
The phrase ‘Headingley’, it’s true, conjures up Ashes derring-do: Ian Botham and Bob Willis in 1981, Ben Stokes in 2019. And the historical past, from Rhodes to Root through Hutton and Boycott, is nearly tangible. However the floor has an austereness that conjures up reverence relatively than love: fancy-dress day within the West Stand doesn’t change that, regardless of what number of occasions you see Borat chasing the Smurfs.
England’s most profitable county Yorkshire doesn’t have its most tasty headquarters
Headingley does conjure Ashes reminiscences, together with Ben Stokes heroics again in 2019
fifteenth: Nevil Highway, Gloucestershire
Few county grounds face extra hypothesis about their impending demise than Nevil Highway, deep in Bristol’s Ashley Down territory – as soon as residence to WG Grace, Gloucestershire’s most well-known son.
The need for an even bigger house is comprehensible, however it might be a disgrace: located amid residential property, and with the comparatively current Hammond Residences overlooking the bottom, it feels a part of the native hubbub. It’s only a disgrace Bristol at all times appears to get worldwide fixtures in September, when it inevitably rains.
Finest sport I’ve seen right here? The ladies’s World Cup semi-final in 2017, when England pipped South Africa by two wickets.
Few county grounds face extra hypothesis about their impending demise than Nevil Highway
WG Grace, Gloucestershire’s most well-known son, options on a mural exterior the bottom
England’s ladies’s World Cup semi-final win over South Africa was a spotlight on the floor
14th: Previous Trafford, Lancashire
There are some who swear that the actual Previous Trafford (which predates its footballing cousin down the street by over half a century) will not be what it was because the addition of the enormous pink Level and the Hilton lodge. However the pavilion is a friendlier place than it was within the days when it was often called the Pit of Hate, and the enormous social gathering stand is among the many most spectacular – and precarious-looking – constructions in English cricket.
Previous Trafford can nonetheless look a bit desolate on a windy day, and a few followers haven’t forgiven the Manchester climate for costing England the 2023 Ashes. However has there been a extra thrumming event than the final day of the 2005 Check, when 1000’s of spectators had been turned away on the gates for a sport that completed with Australia’s final pair hanging on?
Previous Trafford will not be what’s was because the addition of the enormous pink Level and the Hilton lodge
Some followers haven’t forgiven the Manchester climate for costing England the 2023 Ashes
thirteenth: Chelmsford, Essex
In an age when the nameless and the out-of-town are generally most well-liked to the intimate and the native, Chelmsford bucks the development. It’s a 10-minute stroll from the railway station, simply the opposite aspect of the River Can from Central Park – and a visit there on the primary day of the season was a reminder of its place in the neighborhood.
Anne’s Pantry does tasty, fairly priced meals, and the nooks and crannies nearly enable a lap of the bottom if you wish to stretch your legs.
Chelmsford could also be a bit boozy at Friday-night T20 video games for some tastes, however there are few extra critical four-day groups within the nation. And, heavens above, the pitch generally turns, permitting two spinners in a balanced assault.
Chelmsford bucks the development by being intimate and having a spot in the local people
The pitch generally turns at Chelmsford which permits two spinners in a balanced assault
twelfth: Edgbaston, Warwickshire
Located in a suburb normally described as ‘leafy’, Edgbaston nonetheless requires an unattractive stroll in case you attain Birmingham by prepare.
The bottom itself is now a critical stadium, and an extra £42m redevelopment, incorporating a lodge, is deliberate in time for the 2027 Ashes. The press-box meals briefly rivalled Lord’s, however has declined a contact; the view of the Birmingham skyline is spectacular; and there’s no extra raucous ambiance than the one generated by the Hollies Stand on a Check-match Saturday.
I’ll by no means report on a greater sport than the 2005 Ashes Check right here, when England received by two runs to arrange the best sequence of all time.
Edgbaston is a critical stadium and has the raucous Hollies Stand ambiance throughout Exams
I’ll by no means report on a greater sport than the 2005 Ashes Check, when England received by two runs
eleventh: Taunton, Somerset
Like Chelmsford, Taunton sits on the coronary heart of its neighborhood, a 10-minute amble from the railway station and set again from the River Tone, with the Quantock hills including to a bucolic vista. To finish the sheer Englishness of all of it, the St James churchyard lies simply past the boundary. You by no means really feel rushed.
Taunton’s alumni embody Viv Richards and Ian Botham, although Arthur Wellard – both aspect of the Second World Battle – hit extra sixes within the championship than each.
In reality, it’s at all times been first rate for batting: of the 11 first-class quadruple-hundreds, two had been made right here, by Archie MacLaren in 1895 and Graeme Hick in 1988; extra lately, Tom Banton practically made it three. Solely Karachi and Melbourne can boast as many.
Tauton sits on the coronary heart of its neighborhood with St James churchyard simply past the boundary
Tom Banton got here near scoring the third quadruple century at Tauton earlier this month
tenth: Rose Bowl, Hampshire
Getting right here stays a problem: the method from the M27 appears to throw up extra roundabouts than Milton Keynes. However the floor itself, financed on the flip of the century by Rod Bransgrove, hasn’t at all times earned the reward it deserves – an injustice contemplating it helped preserve English Check cricket afloat throughout the pandemic.
A civilised 360-degree walkway affords loads of catering choices, whereas the views again in direction of the South Downs from the highest of the Shane Warne Stand are spectacular.
The on-site Hilton Resort has its priorities proper too. When Manchester Metropolis had been staying for a sport in opposition to Southampton, workers refused to turf Hampshire’s Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas out of his suite to make method for some bloke referred to as Pep Guardiola. Apparently, Hampshire’s head of cricket operations was an Arsenal fan, and stated: ‘No probability.’
The views again in direction of the South Downs on the Rose Bowl are a spectacular sight
The bottom performed a key function in serving to preserve English Check cricket afloat throughout the pandemic
ninth: Cardiff, Glamorgan
If we had been rating golf equipment by the standard of the stroll to the bottom, Sophia Gardens can be on the rostrum. The stroll from the station takes you previous Cardiff Arms Park and the Citadel grounds, into stunning Bute Park, and out alongside the Taff – the river most assured to be talked about in match studies due to the quick straight boundary: many a six has ended up moist.
The Grandstand is without doubt one of the liveliest spots in British cricket, by no means extra so than when Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar had been taking England to a nailbiting draw initially of the 2009 Ashes – with the assistance of some world-class time-wasting from twelfth man Bilal Shafayat.
The grandstand at Sofia Gardens in Cardiff is without doubt one of the liveliest spots in British cricket
Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar memorably steered England to an Ashes attract 2009
eighth: Canterbury, Kent
Full marks to the St Lawrence for embracing its historical past: stands are named after Frank Woolley, Les Ames, Alan Knott and Derek Underwood, and there’s additionally the Cowdrey convention centre. The slope is much more pronounced than the 8ft tiddler at Lord’s.
Gone are the times when EW Swanton, the grand outdated man of English cricket writing, gave the place a semi-religious really feel, although the town’s gorgeous cathedral does its finest.
One journey right here coincided with my most circuitous route again to London. Sprinting to Canterbury East station one night because the prepare pulled in, I congratulated myself on making it in time, and settled all the way down to learn a guide. The subsequent time I regarded up, I used to be in Dover, having boarded on the flawed aspect of the tracks…
The slope at Canterbury is much more pronounced than the 8ft tiddler at Lord’s
Canterbury’s stands honour Kent’s historical past, with Frank Woolley amongst these to be honoured
seventh: Chester-le-Road, Durham
Perceptions might be colored by the lodging choices: historic Durham and raucous Newcastle each rating extremely in case you’re planning a visit to Chester-le-Road.
Then there’s Lumley Citadel, county cricket’s second-best backdrop, the place in 2005 Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was so spooked by rumours it was haunted that he spent the night time on Brett Lee’s flooring.
The bottom itself is compact and hospitable, and staged some of the unjustly forgotten days in England’s historical past: defending 299 to clinch the 2013 Ashes, they dismissed Australia for 224, with Jimmy Anderson holding the profitable catch off Stuart Broad.
Because of the ECB’s shoddy remedy of Durham, the Riverside has hosted just one Check since. A county that retains producing England quick bowlers deserves higher.
Chester-le-Road is compact and hospitable, and staged some of the unjustly forgotten days in England’s historical past
England defended 299 to clinch the 2013 Ashes as they dismissed Australia for 224
sixth: Wantage Highway, Northamptonshire
Full disclosure: I’m biased. Northamptonshire have been my county, by skinny and thinner, because the late Eighties, since when the outdated place has smartened up a bit – even when the red-bricked terraced housing that surrounds Wantage Highway as soon as persuaded Doug Ibbotson of the Every day Telegraph to declare it ‘like Coronation Road with grass’.
The cricketers not share services with Northampton City FC, and the newish indoor college is state-of-the-art. The locals, it’s true, love a grumble, and so they get loads of alternative. However we’ll at all times have the NatWest quarter-final in 1991 – my first sport there within the flesh, when your complete Glamorgan center order of Adrian Dale, Matthew Maynard and Ravi Shastri had been run out. Blissful days.
Northamptonshire have been my county, by skinny and thinner, because the late Eighties, since when the outdated place has smartened up a bit
The red-bricked terraced housing that surrounds Wantage Highway as soon as persuaded Doug Ibbotson of the Every day Telegraph to declare it ‘like Coronation Road with grass’
fifth: New Highway, Worcestershire
Worcester cathedral, burial place of King John, gives probably the most enticing backdrop within the county sport, however for the way for much longer?
With the Severn often bursting its banks, New Highway spends as a lot of the winter submerged because it does dry, and membership officers have accepted Worcestershire will want a brand new residence. What a pity, even for a floor that has misplaced a little bit of its magnificence lately due to different developments.
Nonetheless, no venue does tea-time cake just like the Girls’ Pavilion, and the understated hum is ideal for a post-prandial snooze. We’ll miss it when it’s gone.
Worcester cathedral gives probably the most enticing backdrop within the county sport
4th: Lord’s, Middlesex
Not dangerous. Sunil Gavaskar thought the slope incongruous for a spot so ‘revered’, however you’d need to be a sourpuss to search out an excessive amount of flawed with Lord’s (and the meals stays one of the best on the circuit, which issues if you’re a cricket journalist).
By way of reminiscences, it’s onerous to look past the 2019 World Cup ultimate, although there was a magical afternoon in 2011, when Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar batted in opposition to Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett, the solar out, and the bottom abuzz. It felt heavenly, in a method that solely Lord’s can really feel.
You’d need to be a sourpuss to search out an excessive amount of flawed with Lord’s and the meals stays one of the best on the circuit
By way of reminiscences, it’s onerous to look past England’s victory within the 2019 World Cup ultimate
third: The Oval, Surrey
Simply as Lord’s couldn’t presumably be in south London, so The Oval would by no means be at residence north of the river.
It’s extra democratic, much less self-conscious: you’re unlikely to be scolded by a steward, or bump right into a middle-aged man carrying pink trousers. And, not like Lord’s, it as as happy with its county historical past as it’s of its Exams: Surrey’s 22 championship titles (bettered solely by Yorkshire) are celebrated intimately on the perimeter wall.
The views from the OCS Stand are excellent, even when the outdated gasholder is now being became luxurious flats. And for these of us who had been fortunate sufficient to be there, we’ll at all times have Kevin Pietersen’s Ashes-clinching 158 in 2005.
The Oval is happy with is county historical past, with Surrey’s 22 titles solely being bettered by Yorkshire
Kevin Pietersen’s scored 158 at The Oval in 2005 to clinch Ashes victory for England
2nd: Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire
There’s one thing bracing a couple of stroll throughout the Trent from the centre of Nottingham. Modernisation has not disturbed the bottom’s old-time tranquility, and the pavilion – the place Shane Warne wiggled with a stump in 1997 – remains to be among the many loveliest within the nation.
You are feeling near the motion too, and the press field is so low down that green-jacketed stewards repeatedly warn journalists to remain seated if the bowling is from our finish.
I’ve seen few higher Exams than England’s 14-run win over Australia in 2013, when Stuart Broad refused to stroll for a thick edge (and Brad Haddin refused to stroll for the skinny edge that completed the sport). Nevertheless it’s the easy allure that defines Trent Bridge. As Michael Henderson as soon as wrote: ‘If you happen to can’t reply to its unforced magnificence, maybe you should test your pulse.’
Modernisation has not disturbed Trent Bridge’s old-time tranquility and the pavilion remains to be among the many loveliest within the nation
You are feeling near the motion too, and the press field is so low down that journalists are warned to remain seated if the bowling is from our finish
1st: Hove, Sussex
When the solar is out, because it was on Friday for the go to of Somerset, there isn’t a place like Hove. Choose up a espresso at Brighton station, wander alongside the ocean entrance, immerse your self in a world of seagulls, deckchairs and ice lotions, and luxuriate in a post-stumps beer on the seaside.
The slope and, on murkier days, the ocean fret add to the native color. The flats overlooking the bottom have ‘retirement bolthole’ written throughout them. Solely a 24-carat curmudgeon may fail to take pleasure in watching cricket right here.
When the solar is out, there isn’t a place like Hove and few may fail to take pleasure in watching cricket right here
The flats overlooking the bottom have ‘retirement bolthole’ written throughout them
