The Dorset County Cricket Club was established in February 1896. Since then, it has played minor counties cricket since 1897 and played List A cricket from 1968 to 2004, using a different number of home grounds during that time. Their first minor counties fixture in 1897 was against Wiltshire at the Recreation Ground, Blandford Forum, while their first List A match came 71 years later against Bedfordshire in the 1968 Gillette Cup at Sherborne School. The club is based at Dean Park, Bournemouth, which also held first-class and List A cricket for Hampshire from 1897 to 1992.
The seventeen grounds that Dorset have used for home matches since 1897 are listed below, with statistics complete through to the end of the 2012 season.
Grounds List A Below is a complete list of grounds used by Dorset County Cricket Club when it was permitted to play List A matches. These grounds have also held Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy matches. Name Location First Last Matches First Last Matches First Last Matches Refs List A Minor Counties Championship MCCA Trophy Sherborne School Sherborne only match:8 June 1992v Bedfordshire 5 August 1902v Devon 25 May 1997v Herefordshire 3 June 1984v Wiltshire still in use Dean Park Bournemouth 29 June 1983v Essex 5 May 2004v Yorkshire 13 August 1982v Devon still in use 2 June 1985v Cornwall still in use Hampshire played first-class and List A cricket at Dean Park from 1897 to 1992. Only the List A matches played by Dorset at the ground are recorded in the table.
Minor Counties Below is a complete list of grounds used by the Dorset County Cricket Club in Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy matches. Name Location First Last Matches First Last Matches Refs Minor Counties Championship MCCA Trophy Recreation Ground Blandford Forum 16 August 1897v Wiltshire 18 August 1981v Wiltshire – – St Mary's Field Bridport 21 July 1902v Wiltshire 7 August 1939v Cornwall – – Weymouth College Ground Weymouth 23 August 1902v Surrey Second XI 5 August 1935v Cornwall – – Poole Park Poole 15 July 1903v Staffordshire 26 August 1981v Oxfordshire – – Recreation Ground Dorchester 1 July 1908v Surrey Second XI 30 July 1996v Cheshire 2 May 2010v Bedfordshire 5 June 2011v Hertfordshire Earl of Shaftesbury's Ground Wimborne St Giles 18 August 1909v Wiltshire 19 August 1914v Wiltshire – – Merley Park Wimborne 27 July 1934v Oxfordshire 21 August 1939v Wiltshire – – Canford School Ground Canford Magna 16 August 1937v Oxfordshire 12 June 1994v Oxfordshire – – Redlands Sports Ground Weymouth 15 August 1951v Cornwall 11 June 2000v Shropshire 24 July 1988v Cambridgeshire 15 May 2011v Herefordshire Royal Army Corps Ground Bovington only match:8 June 1992v Oxfordshire – – Terrace Ground Sherborne 7 August 1957v Wiltshire 22 August 1962v Oxfordshire – – Hanhams Cricket Ground Wimborne 30 August 1957v Oxfordshire 24 July 1979v Berkshire – – Cockram's Ground Shaftesbury 19 August 1960v Oxfordshire 13 August 1971v Devon – – Bournemouth Sports Club Bournemouth 1 August 1962v Cornwall 10 September 2000v Cumberland – – Day's Park Swanage 22 August 1969v Wiltshire 17 August 1970v Oxfordshire – –
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