County Ground, Taunton
The County Ground, known for sponsorship reasons as Cooper Associates County Ground, is a cricket ground in Taunton, Somerset. It is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club, who have played there since 1882. The ground, which is located between Priory Bridge Road and St James Street, has a capacity of 8,500. The ground was originally built as part of a sports centre by Taunton Athletic Club in 1881, and became the home of the previously nomadic Somerset County Cricket Club soon after. Having leased the ground for ten years, the club bought the ground in 1896, under the guidance of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon. The ground ends are the River End to the north and the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End to the south.
Panoramic view of the County Ground, Taunton | |||||
| Ground information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Taunton, Somerset | ||||
| Coordinates | 51°1′8″N 3°6′3″W | ||||
| Establishment | 1882 | ||||
| Capacity | 8,500 (12,500 for internationals) | ||||
| Owner | Somerset County Cricket Club | ||||
| Tenants | England women's cricket team (since 2006) | ||||
| End names | |||||
| The River End Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End | |||||
| International information | |||||
| First ODI | 11 June 1983: England v Sri Lanka | ||||
| Last ODI | 17 June 2019: Bangladesh v West Indies | ||||
| Only T20I | 23 June 2017: England v South Africa | ||||
| First women's Test | 14–18 August 2002: England v India | ||||
| Last women's Test | 27–30 June 2022: England v South Africa | ||||
| First WODI | 17 August 1997: England v South Africa | ||||
| Last WODI | 18 July 2023: England v Australia | ||||
| First WT20I | 2 September 2005: England v Australia | ||||
| Last WT20I | 9 September 2021: England v New Zealand | ||||
| Team information | |||||
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| As of 18 July 2023 Source: Cricinfo | |||||
Somerset played their first match of first-class cricket on the ground over 8–10 August 1882, beating Hampshire County Cricket Club by five wickets. Later in the same month, the touring Australia national cricket team played a match against Somerset, becoming the first international side to play at the ground. The first international cricket to be played on the ground was in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, for a group-stage match between England and Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted two group-stage matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup and venue for the tournament in 2019. Since 1997, women's international cricket has been played at the ground, and in 2006 it became the home of the England women's cricket team. The ground saw (men's) international cricket in 2017, with a Twenty20 International (T20I) tie between England and South Africa.