Cricket on the Map!

A good indicator on whether or not a cricket club was considered important in the early days would be whether or not their ground appears on the map. The Ordinance survey maps of the Edwardian period show a number of grounds in our area, including a surprise one.

 

Whilst not specifically a definite cricket ground we start by looking in Barton upon Humber. You can see on the map a former football ground, with a pavilion. This would likely of included a cricket pitch. In modern day Barton you can also see why the road nearby is called Marsh Lane, the site of the pitches today appear to be totally covered with water. They also operated in a field “off Butts Lane”, prior to securing a permanent home, this may well have been the current facility.

 

The only site still in use today for cricket is set in the grounds of Normanby Park. The cricket ground had been there, sponsored by Sir Berkley Sheffield since around the turn of the century. He had been entertaining teams himself on the ground with first class cricketers such as the Eton Ramblers right up until the commencment of the Great War. The last of these, scheduled for 8^th August 1914 was indeed cancelled due to the hostitilities.

 

Moving South into the ever growing industrial villages of Scunthorpe we can see two sites on the same 1908 ordinance survey map. Firstly, just off Doncaster road, then known as Frodingham road, we can see a football ground. We know this to be the Old Show Ground, where the Scunthorpe Club played in the 1920’s and 30’s. This was very much a hybrid facility, used for football in the main, but cricket and shows during the summer months. To the North there is a field marked ‘showground’. This is likely to be the site of the facility Scunthorpe used when the show ground wasn’t available. Although this would need to be confirmed it is known that they did have a cricket ground in Crosby that they then sold in 1933.

 

Between Frodingham and New Brumby is the park that is opposite the Frodingham School. This is the site of the old Frodingham Cricket Ground. Cricket ceased being played on the site after the Great War. It was sold in 1939 after much debate, the people of Frodingham needed a play area. The local authority eventually negotiated an appropriate price.

 

The Sutton Nelthorpe Family were responsible for the earliest documented North Lincolnshire cricket club at Scawby. Henry Sutton Nelthorpe, the seventh baronet was an avid sportsman. Mainly racing, but cricket also. It was in the park at Scawby that a cricket ground stood for over 140 years. When the Scawby Club folded in the 1960’s the cricket ground went with it.

 

In neighbouring Brigg a cricket ground was established alongside the railway track just up Westrum Lane. Throughout the 1850’s and 60’s the club was looking for a ground. They occasionally found a home behind the Brocklesby Ox, but a new ground, in place since around 1880 was their home right up until beyond the Great War.

 

Land owners appear to be the theme if you want your cricket ground on the map. The Elwes family must have been linked to another cricket ground that disappeared in 1970. That of the Elsham club. A force to be reckoned with, post war, in the Grimsby League, particularly in the absense of a Brigg Cricket Club, this pretty ground operated just throught the trees off New street, in the grounds of Elsham Hall. It is now very much just a meadow.

 

Finally, further up the low villages we have a surprise cricket ground at Saxby All Saints in the grounds of Saxby Hall, with the Barton family for generations. Now Saxby occasionally played cricket. They certainly didn’t feature in any prominent competitions of the time, save for the 1894 season in the Richardson Cup. However in the early 1900’s they were seen to of played quite a number of fixtures against other teams in the low villages, as well as over the ancholme at Saxby Bridge to play against Appleby. There has been no mention of a Saxby Cricket Club after the Great War.

 

Suprising ommisions from the map would be Walcott Hall at Alkborough, where cricket was played on the Westcroft from the mid 19^th century. Also Brumby Hall, where the Frodngham Cricket Club played prior to the use of their Rowland Road ground. It is understood that the forerunners to Scunthorpe United, Brumby Hall FC were playing football there in the late 19^th century.

Some clubs had various agreements with local landowners, Broughton had an agreement to play in land adjacent to Vale Farm, where the current ground is situated as long ago as 1868. However, in between times they played at four or five other locations around the village including multiple fields owned by the same family. Many other local village clubs will have had similar agreements.