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Colchester | Castle Park Cricket Ground
colchester
castle Park cricket ground
Sportsway, Catchpole Road, Colchester, Essex
T: 01206 574 028 W: www.colchestercricket.org
Colchester and East
Essex Cricket Club
can lay claim to being the
premier club in North East
Essex. Not only are they the
only club to be playing
premier league level
cricket, they also boast one
of the finest grounds in the
county.
Since Castle Park was
opened in 1908, many of
world cricket’s greats have
graced the ground which
still hosts Essex County
Cricket Club every year
during Colchester Festival
Week.
It is its unique setting that
is nearly impossible to
surpass, lying along the
Roman Wall and the River
Colne the ground is
surrounded by trees within
which lies the elegant
pavilion. This recreation of
a forgotten Victorian idyll
that speaks to the very
heart of traditional English
county cricket is also the
scene of several legendary
innings including a quite
remarkable feat by Arthur
Fagg in 1938.
During a match between
Essex and Kent, for whom
he played, he scored 224
not out and 202 not out and
remains to this day the only
man to score two double
centuries in a match. In
1981 Javed Miandad, a
Pakistan and world great,
scored a swift 200 not out
when Glamorgan were set
325 in five and a half hours.
His aggressively paced
innings brought the game
to an exciting climax that
came to an end 14 runs
short of the required total
when he ran out of partners.
Not that Castle Park is
without its downside, the
River Colne, as beautiful as
it is, has caused many
drainage problems. An
example was in 1958 when
a festival match had to be
abandoned as deckchairs
floated across the outfield.
Further disruption came in
a 1966 when, mid match,
the two teams moved to the
secondary ground at
Garrison Cricket Ground.
Such were the problems
that this arrangement
lasted until 1975.
Currently the club is able
to put out five senior teams
with the first and seconds
playing in the Shepherd
and Neame Essex League
and three further teams that
compete in the PDQ Cars
North East Essex Cricket
Leagues. There is also a
Women’s XI, age group
teams from Under 11’s
through to Under 16’s and a
kwik cricket team.
Colchester and East Essex
Cricket Club has indeed
got a bright future to match
its rich past.
Philip George is their
President. Involved as a
player since 1980, he has
three sons who play for the
club also does lots of
umpiring. He spoke to
Cricket Club Magazine this
month.
“We had a nice
publication… put together
which celebrated the 100
years of cricket at the club
and a club ball at the end of
the season. Our sides have
had a decent season
without being exceptional.”
“Off the field…. we are
heavily involved with the
‘Chance2shine’ scheme and
have coaches who go into
local primary schools who
bring the game to those
who otherwise may not get
involved. Some have been
so keen that they have
come along and now form
part of our Colts Section.”
“We are lucky with the
quality… of the coaches
we have and the amount of
time they are prepared to
put in. We’ve also an
exceptional Secretary in
the form of Keith Oxborrow
who deals with lots of our
administration.”
“In order to stay at the
top level… it’s becoming
more financially difficult
especially due to
sponsorship issues in the
current financial climate.
Much is expected of us as
a Premier League cricket
set up. In the future we are
keen to build on the
facilities and resources
we have and hope to enlist
the ECB for assistance.”
Neil Foster and Derek
Pringle both played for
Colchester as did David
Collier who is now the
CEO of the ECB.
LJR Edwards
Sportsturf Management
Contract Cricket Ground Maintenance
Specialist Turf Renovation Service
Out-eld Cutting Contracts
Verti Drain Aeration
Specialist Square Reconstruction
Specialist Advice on all Turf Maintenance Situations
Olivia Mulberry Green, Copford, Colchester, Essex CO6 1DL
Telephone/Fax: 01206 211321 Mobile: 07944 313763
www.sportsturfmanagement.co.uk
Colchester | Castle Park Cricket Ground
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