United Services Recreation Ground
 |
|||||
| Ground information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Portsmouth, Hampshire | ||||
| Coordinates | 50°47′45″N 1°05′50″W / 50.7959°N 1.0973°W | ||||
| Establishment | 1882 | ||||
| Capacity | 8,000 | ||||
| End names | |||||
| Railway End Officer's Club End |
|||||
| Team information | |||||
|
|||||
| As of 28 December 2011 Source: Ground profile |
|||||
The United Services Recreation Ground is a sports ground situated in Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The ground is also bordered to the north by Park Road, along which the railway line to Portsmouth Harbour and Gunwharf Quays overlooks the ground, and to the east by Anglesea Road. The southern end of the ground is dominated by the Officer's Club building, which overlooks the ground. The ground is owned by The Crown. A multitude of sports have been played at the ground, including cricket, rugby and hockey. The ground was used by Hampshire County Cricket Club from 1882 to 2000, serving as one of three home grounds used during this period, alongside the County Ground, Southampton, and Dean Park, Bournemouth. United Services Portsmouth Cricket Club currently play at the ground. The ground is used in its dual capacity as a rugby venue by United Services Portsmouth Rugby Football Club, who have played there since 1882. The Royal Navy Rugby Union also use the ground for their home matches. The end names are the Railway End to the north and the Officer's Club End to the south.
Located to the north of Old Portsmouth, the area where the ground is located was a sea inlet in the 17th century, across which was a dam. The dam allowed the sea into the inlet when the tide came in, and when the tide went back out the dam was closed and the water was only allowed to escape under a watermill, named King's Mill, which powered the production of grain in the mill. After this, the land was gradually reclaimed from the sea. There is evidence that cricket has been played at the United Services Recreation Ground since 1852. The ground in its present location is said to have been made available following largescale demolition of defence works in the city during the 1870s.First-class cricket was first played there on 17, 18 and 19 August 1882, when the touring Australians played Cambridge University Past and Present. This first match was won by Cambridge University Past and Present by 20 runs, following an Australian batting collapse in which A. G. Steel took 5/24.Hampshire first played there a week after the first match, against Sussex in which they lost by an innings. Over the coming decade the ground was used once by G.N. Wyatt's XI, on three occasions by Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present and twice by the East of England. Hampshire lost first-class status during this period and were considered a second-class county, though Hampshire did play at the ground once during this period against Sussex in 1888. The 1893 match between the Australians and Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present was notable for the Australians setting what was then a record first-class innings score of 843.
...
Wikipedia