Artillery Ground
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The Artillery Ground is one of London's most centrally located cricket grounds, situated just off the City Road immediately north of the City of London. It belongs to the Honourable Artillery Company and is hemmed in by the Company's headquarters and numerous office buildings.
The earliest definite cricket match at the Artillery Ground took place on 31 August 1730 between teams styled London and Surrey. London won but no other details are known (source: H T Waghorn - Cricket Scores 1730 – 1773).
The Artillery Ground is in Finsbury between Chiswell Street and Bunhill Fields. It was referred to in contemporary reports as the old Artillery Ground, but this may be because it was used frequently for other forms of sport or entertainment. It was generally used for matches involving the original London Club and also became the featured venue of all London cricket until about 1765, after which the focus shifted to Hambledon and the London Club disbanded.
See also : George Smith (cricketer)
| English cricket venues in the 18th century |
|
Artillery Ground | Bishopsbourne Paddock | Broadhalfpenny Down | Bromley Common | Dartford Brent | Duppas Hill |
[edit] References
- Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians - various publications;
- At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742 – 1751 by F S Ashley-Cooper in Cricket Magazine (1900) (ASW);
- Cricket Scores 1730 - 1773 by H T Waghorn (WCS);
- Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley (FL18);
- Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket by G B Buckley (FLPV);
- From the Weald to the World by Peter Wynne-Thomas (PWT);
- Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn);
- The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn (WDC)
