Itchin Stoke Down
Interactive map of Itchin Stoke Down cricket ground | |
| Location | near Alresford, Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Home club | Alresford Cricket Club Hambledon Club |
| County club | Hampshire |
| Establishment | by 1778 |
| Last used | 1806 |
Itchin Stoke Down is a rural location near the town of Alresford in Hampshire. Between 1778 and 1806, it was a cricket venue for several historically important matches,[note 1] and as the home of the Alresford Cricket Club.
Cricket venue
In the contemporary records, the venue's name is often shortened to "Stoke Down", which is incorrect, as is a popular notion that it is near Hambledon like the other two famous Hampshire venues of the time: Broadhalfpenny Down and Windmill Down.
Itchin Stoke Down is first referenced as the venue for the Hambledon Club v Hambledon Parish match on Saturday, 30 May 1778.[2] The result is unknown. The game was pre-announced in the Hampshire Chronicle on Monday, 18 May as "Hambledon Club v Hambledon Parish with Noah Mann". This was more in the way of a local match, possibly a practice match by the Hambledon Club, or perhaps even to give the venue a trial.
The first important match known to have taken place on the Down is Hampshire v England on 6 & 7 July 1778. England won by 45 runs, thanks largely to the bowling of Lumpy Stevens.[3]
The Down was used as an occasional venue by Hampshire teams from then until the early years of the 19th century. It was still in use for a Hampshire v England match as late as 1806, which was several years after the demise of the Hambledon Club.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Any match listed in the ACS' Important Match Guide (1981) is historically important, and therefore of the highest standard, whether or not a scorecard might exist. The same applies to numerous matches discovered by researchers since 1981.[1] For further information, see First-class cricket.
References
- ↑ ACS 1981, pp. 1–40.
- ↑ Buckley 1935, p. 84.
- ↑ Haygarth 1996, pp. 37–38.
- ↑ Haygarth 1996, pp. 331–332.
Bibliography
- ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC 85045528.
- Buckley, G. B. (1935). Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket. Birmingham: Cotterell & Co. OCLC 23450280.
- Haygarth, Arthur (1996) [1862]. Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN 978-19-00592-23-9.