Linden Park Cricket Club
Linden Park Cricket Club (LPCC) is a cricket club based at Higher Cricket Ground, Fir Tree Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.
The Club has a senior section which runs five Saturday league teams, with the top two sides playing in the Kent League, the 3rd and 4th sides playing in the East Sussex League and the 5th side in Kent village league. It also runs two Sunday sides, one of which plays in a development league for part of the season, and a midweek side.
The Club also has a junior section which fields five sides each week across the age ranges Under 9s to Under 15s.
For over 100 years the Higher Ground cricket pitch, overlooked by the Wellington Rocks, has been a jewel in the centre of the Common. Situated in the centre of Tunbridge Wells, the Common provides a tranquil open space amidst the hustle and bustle of this beautiful and historic spa town.
The beauty of its location and its friendly welcome mean that LPCC is one of the highlights on the fixture list for all of its visiting teams. On a typical summer weekend, an estimated 3,000 people realise that there is no better place than one of the many benches around the ground to slow down, “take five” and relax in the sun to the sound of leather on willow.
Cricket has been played on Tunbridge Wells Common for over 200 years with the first recorded game taking place in 1782 between Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge. In 1876 Lewis Luck formed a cricket club known as Tunbridge Wells Juniors, initially playing near the present Nevill Ground. Following the opening of the Linden Park estate the club moved to the Lower Ground and changed their name to Linden Park Cricket Club. In 1898 the club moved to the present location on the Higher Ground, where it remains today.
In 1882 a United England XI (W G Grace captain) played Australia at the Higher Ground. The visitors were bowled out for 49 by a team including local legend John Harvey.
In 1927 LPCC played against a Frank Woolley XI with 6,000 spectators.
On 19 June 1941, 1,500 people watched LPCC beat a British Empire XI but the following year the “Empire fought back”, beating LPCC.
On 6 May 1949 a match against Kent saw Les Ames make 91 out of 226 but unfortunately the team was bowled out for 71 in reply.
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