Day's Itchen Ground was a

cricket ground Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by strikin ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, which hosted first-class cricket from 1848 to 1850.

History

County cricket Inter-county cricket matches are known to have been played since the early 18th century, involving teams that are representative of the historic counties of England and Wales. Since the late 19th century, there have been two county championship ...

in Southampton had been played across the River Itchen at the Antelope Ground since 1839. In 1845, the ground was threatened by building speculation, which prompted

Daniel Day Daniel Day may refer to: * Daniel Day (manufacturer) (1767–1848), American pioneer in woollen manufacturing * Daniel Day (cricketer) (1807–1887), English cricketer * Dapper Dan (designer) (born 1944), American fashion designer, born Daniel Day ...

to move to a ground across the river at Woolston on a field owned by the Woolston Hotel. The ground's total area was roughly , with a wooden

cricket pavilion A cricket pavilion is a pavilion at a cricket ground. It is the main building within which the players usually change in dressing rooms and which is the main location for watching the cricket match for members and others. Pavilions can vary from m ...

being constructed on its north side. The first match was played there in March 1846, when the Married of Southampton played the Single of Southampton.

First-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

was first played there in 1848, when

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

played the All-England Eleven. Subsequently, two further first-class matches were played there between the sides in 1849 and 1850. Day found the ground to be financially unviable, having cost him between £1,000 and £2,000, and he moved to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

to manage the East Hampshire Cricket Ground at Southsea when the lease at the Itchen Ground expired in 1851. The ground was subsequently built over in the 1850s, with first-class cricket in Southampton returning to the Antelope Ground until 1884.

Records

First-class

* Highest team total: 131 all out by All England Eleven v

, 1850 * Lowest team total: 22 all out by All England Eleven v Hampshire, 1848 * Highest individual innings: 46 by Joe Guy for All England Eleven v Hampshire, 1850 * Best bowling in an innings: 8-1? (scorecard incomplete) by

William Hillyer William Richard Hillyer (5 March 1813 – 8 January 1861), was a prominent 19th century English professional cricketer for Kent County Cricket Club, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and many other sides in the days before county and international ...

, as above * Best bowling in a match: 14-48 by William Hillyer for All England Eleven v Hampshire, 1848

References

External links

Day's Itchen Ground
at

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{{coord, 50.8971, -1.3736, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Sport in Southampton Sports venues completed in 1846 Defunct sports venues in Hampshire Defunct cricket grounds in England Cricket grounds in Hampshire