Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 member clubs of the English County Championship, representing the historic county of Durham. The club was established on 23 May 1882. The county entered the Minor Counties Championship in 1895 and competed with great success in the competition until 1991, after which it was elevated to first-class status for the 1992 season, and has played first-class cricket since. While still a minor county, Durham first played List A cricket in 1964, and has played Twenty20 cricket since 2003.
The Racecourse Ground in Durham staged the club's first home fixture in first-class cricket in 1992 which was against Leicestershire, while Feethams played host to the club's first home List A match in 1964, a match against Hertfordshire, with the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street being the venue for the club's first Twenty20 match in 2003, the game against Nottinghamshire. Durham have played home matches at 22 grounds, but have played the majority of their home fixtures since elevation to first-class status at the Riverside Ground, which also holds Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket matches.
The 22 grounds that Durham have used for home matches since 1895 are listed below, with statistics complete through to the end of the 2014 season.
Grounds
Minor county Below is a complete list of grounds used by Durham County Cricket Club in Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy matches before its elevation to first-class status in 1992. The list excludes List A matches played by Durham when they were a minor county Name Location First Last Matches First Last Matches Refs Minor Counties Championship MCCA Trophy Bunker Hill Philadelphia 3 June 1895v Lincolnshire 21 July 1902v Staffordshire – – Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington 24 June 1895v Cheshire 18 July 1990v Staffordshire – – Ashbrooke Sunderland 26 June 1895v Staffordshire 30 May 1989v Hertfordshire only match:5 June 1988v Lincolnshire Station Road Norton 15 July 1895v Worcestershire 20 June 1938v Staffordshire – – Village Ground Bournmoor 25 May 1896v Northumberland 6 July 1921v Cheshire – – Clarence Road Ground Hartlepool 5 July 1897v Cambridgeshire 29 June 1908v Lincolnshire – – Prince Consort Road Gateshead 19 July 1897v Norfolk 25 June 1928v Cheshire – – Wood Terrace South Shields 11 July 1899v Cambridgeshire 22 August 1990v Lincolnshire only match:6 July 1986v Hertfordshire Green Lane Durham 4 August 1899v Norfolk 12 June 1984v Bedfordshire 22 May 1988v Northumberland 4 June 1989v Cumberland Ropery Lane Chester-le-Street 3 August 1903v Northumberland 29 May 1990v Bedfordshire 2 June 1985v Northumberland 30 June 1985v Cheshire The Durham Cricket Board played four MCCA Knockout Trophy matches here between 1999–2001. Only the MCCA Knockout Trophy matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. Carley Hill Ground Sunderland 15 August 1904v Bedfordshire 18 August 1965v Warwickshire Second XI – – Blackfyne Consett 27 July 1911v Norfolk 21 August 1979v Cheshire – – Park Drive Hartlepool 11 June 1913v Lincolnshire 28 May 1991v Hertfordshire – – South Moor Cricket Club Ground Stanley only match:22 July 1914v Cheshire – – Belasis Lane Billingham 22 June 1936v Yorkshire Second XI 19 June 1939v Yorkshire Second XI – – Grangefield Road Stockton-on-Tees 9 July 1947v Staffordshire 21 August 1991v Suffolk – – Kingsway Bishop Auckland 17 July 1950v Staffordshire 21 June 1961v Staffordshire – – Eastwood Gardens Gateshead 24 June 1959v Staffordshire 4 August 1991v Northumberland only match:6 June 1985v Wiltshire The Durham Cricket Board played two MCCA Knockout Trophy matches here in 1998 and 2001. Only the MCCA Knockout Trophy match played at the ground by Durham is recorded in the table. The Racecourse Durham only match:19 August 1991v Norfolk – –
First-class county Below is a complete list of grounds used by Durham County Cricket Club in first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches following its elevation to first-class status in 1992. The table includes List A matches played by Durham when they were a minor county Name Location First Last Matches First Last Matches First Last Matches Refs First-class List A Twenty20 The Racecourse Durham 25 April 1992v Leicestershire 18 July 1994v Yorkshire 19 April 1992v Lancashire 31 July 1994v Yorkshire – – Durham MCCU use the ground for first-class matches. Only the first-class matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. The Marylebone Cricket Club played one List A match at the ground against Bangladesh A in 2008. Only the List A matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. Osborne Avenue Jesmond – – only match:5 May 1992v Derbyshire – – Osborne Avenue is located in the adjacent county of Northumberland. Northumberland, a combined Minor Counties team, Minor Counties East, and Minor Counties North have all played List A matches at the ground. Only the List A match played by Durham at the ground is recorded in the table. Grangefield Road Stockton-on-Tees 23 May 1992v Northamptonshire 13 June 2006v Kent 24 May 1992v Northamptonshire 23 June 1996v Surrey – – Feethams Cricket Ground Darlington 2 June 1992v Somerset 10 July 2002v Derbyshire 4 May 1964v Hertfordshire 2 July 2000v Derbyshire – – A combined Minor Counties cricket team played one List A match here in the 1988 Benson & Hedges Cup, while the Durham Cricket Board played two List A matches here in the 2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy. Only the List A matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. Park Drive Hartlepool 12 June 1992v Essex 7 May 1997v Nottinghamshire 14 June 1992v Essex 11 May 1997v Nottinghamshire – – The Durham Cricket Board played two List A matches here in the 1999 and 2000 NatWest Trophy. Only the List A matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. Eastwood Gardens Gateshead 27 June 1992v Kent 19 May 1994v Gloucestershire 26 April 1992v Leicestershire 13 June 1993v Middlesex – – The Durham Cricket Board played two List A matches here in the 1999 and 2000 NatWest Trophy. Only the List A matches played at the ground by Durham are recorded in the table. Ropery Lane Chester-le-Street 14 July 1992v Pakistanis 12 July 1994v South Africans 23 April 1967v Nottinghamshire 5 September 1993v Nottinghamshire – – Minor Counties North played a single List A match here in the 1973 Benson & Hedges Cup. Only the List A matches played by Durham at the ground are recorded in the table. Riverside Ground Chester-le-Street 18 May 1995v Warwickshire 15 September 2014v Northamptonshire 21 May 1995v Warwickshire 6 September 2014v Nottinghamshire 13 June 2003v Nottinghamshire 25 July 2014v Northamptonshire Only the first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches played by Durham at the ground are recorded in the table. Roseworth Terrace Gosforth – – only match:31 July 2014v Warwickshire – – Roseworth Terrace is located in the adjacent county of Northumberland.
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