1. John Paul Getty Ground, Wormsley
As the website says: "A red telephone box sits next to the thatched pavilion, overlooking the immaculate field of play and the sloping Chiltern Hills beyond. Red Kites wheel overhead, floating on the air currents while the game unfolds below." I might - might - just get to play there this season. Fingers crossed.
2. Valley of the Rocks, Devon
North Devon has it all. I really think our club has to look into touring here. Nearby there are sandy beaches - this one, in fact, and rolling moors aplenty.
3. Threlkeld CC, Cumbria
Stunning Lake District venue.
4. Patterdale, Cumbria
Annoyingly I can't find a picture of the ground that's usable, but I drove past it earlier this year. It's down there, somewhere. Trust me - it's beautiful.
5. Keevil Manor, Somerset
I'll do a proper post on this at some point. I love the place. Despite the fact that in 6 years I average 9 here, with a top score of 14. The local cider may be a factor.
6. Himachal Prasad, Himalayas
Next year, maybe.
7. Broad Half Penny Down, Hampshire
I used to play here all the time as a kid. There was something inspiring about it even aged 13 - even though we didn't really know the ins and outs of all the history. The pitch was lightning fast, and I always found the ball swung miles too. I used to take quite a lot of wickets. The grass was always verdant so it would hoop around throughout the innings. I think the altitude might also have a part to play.
It was, of course, the home of the best team in the country, back in these days:
And it's still an inexplicably strong area for cricket, with Havant (home of all sorts of ex- and almost-Hants players over the years) and St Cross (home of Chris Tremlett among others) not far away - turns out my school has just made the national T20 finals at Lord's, and quite a few of this year's squad play their club games here.
As the website says: "A red telephone box sits next to the thatched pavilion, overlooking the immaculate field of play and the sloping Chiltern Hills beyond. Red Kites wheel overhead, floating on the air currents while the game unfolds below." I might - might - just get to play there this season. Fingers crossed.
2. Valley of the Rocks, Devon
North Devon has it all. I really think our club has to look into touring here. Nearby there are sandy beaches - this one, in fact, and rolling moors aplenty.
3. Threlkeld CC, Cumbria
Stunning Lake District venue.
4. Patterdale, Cumbria
Annoyingly I can't find a picture of the ground that's usable, but I drove past it earlier this year. It's down there, somewhere. Trust me - it's beautiful.
5. Keevil Manor, Somerset
I'll do a proper post on this at some point. I love the place. Despite the fact that in 6 years I average 9 here, with a top score of 14. The local cider may be a factor.
6. Himachal Prasad, Himalayas
7. Broad Half Penny Down, Hampshire
I used to play here all the time as a kid. There was something inspiring about it even aged 13 - even though we didn't really know the ins and outs of all the history. The pitch was lightning fast, and I always found the ball swung miles too. I used to take quite a lot of wickets. The grass was always verdant so it would hoop around throughout the innings. I think the altitude might also have a part to play.
It was, of course, the home of the best team in the country, back in these days:
And it's still an inexplicably strong area for cricket, with Havant (home of all sorts of ex- and almost-Hants players over the years) and St Cross (home of Chris Tremlett among others) not far away - turns out my school has just made the national T20 finals at Lord's, and quite a few of this year's squad play their club games here.
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