- Windmill Down
Infobox county cricket ground
ground = Windmill Down cricket ground
imagesize =
caption =
location = nearHambledon, Hampshire
home club =Hambledon Club
county club = Hampshire (pre-county club)
established = 1782
last used = 1795Windmill Down is a rural location near the town of Hambledon inHampshire . It was used as a venue formajor cricket matches in the 18th century and from 1782 as the home of theHambledon Club .Opening of Windmill Down
Hambledon used
Broadhalfpenny Down from at least 1756 until 1781 when it was abandoned for being "too remote". Broadhalfpenny is about two miles from the village whereas Windmill Down is adjacent. Oddly enough, Broadhalfpenny had a good pub immediately opposite (the famousBat and Ball Inn ) but Windmill Down did not!Ashley Mote , "The Glory Days of Cricket", Robson, 1997]Major cricket venue
On Tuesday
18 June 1782, the "Hampshire Chronicle" reported the first meeting on Windmill Down, referring to the ground as "a field called the New Broad Halfpenny adjoining to the Town of Hambledon"G B Buckley , "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket", Cotterell, 1935] . It is probable but unconfirmed that the first match was played there a week later. The first definite major match was Hampshire v All-England in August 1782, All-England winning by 147 runs .Last match
Windmill Down was used regularly as the home venue for Hampshire matches until July 1795 when the last recorded match took place there
Arthur Haygarth , "Scores & Biographies", Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862] .References
External sources
* [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/main.html From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/2342_misc.html CricketArchive – major cricket matches at Windmill Down]Further reading
*
G B Buckley , "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket", Cotterell, 1935
*Arthur Haygarth , "Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826)", Lillywhite, 1862
*Ashley Mote , "The Glory Days of Cricket", Robson, 1997
*Ashley Mote , "John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time", Robson, 1998
*H T Waghorn , "The Dawn of Cricket", Electric Press, 1906coord|50.942346|N|1.071163|W|region:GB|display=title
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