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The home play opens astatine each the accustomed venues connected Friday. There volition beryllium four-day matches starting astatine Lord’s, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. Next week, Headingley, The Oval and Old Trafford volition get their turns.
One of the large appeals of the region game, however, is provided erstwhile it spreads its nett beyond the large cities, landing successful immoderate weird and fantastic outposts. Places wherever you tin either odor the past oregon the oversea air.
Here, Mail Sport signposts you towards the 10 retired grounds you should sojourn successful 2025...
The iconic Lord's (pictured) volition big region cricket implicit the archetypal play of the caller season
Old Trafford (pictured) volition get its crook adjacent week, but determination are besides immoderate peculiar retired grounds that fans should sojourn this year
Arundel
With its aged woody pavilion nestling betwixt the trees beneath the marketplace town’s celebrated castle, the South Downs vista is amongst the astir serene connected the region circuit.
The crushed is besides a earthy bowl, allowing respective 1000 supporters to stitchery connected the writer banks for Sussex’s white-ball matches. Such is its pleasing aesthetic that Hampshire chose to play their matches present during the Covid summertime of 2020 erstwhile England seconded the Rose Bowl for their lockdown internationals.
Sussex person not played present since 2019.
Fixture: August 7, Sussex v Kent, MBC
Beckenham
Established by Lloyds Bank arsenic its main sports crushed successful 1918, it has been redeveloped doubly since it was sold 26 years agone and its ambiance makes it is casual to hide you haven’t near London.
Crystal Palace, whose grooming crushed is adjacent door, stock immoderate of the all-weather facilities enactment successful during the £30million upgrade successful 2014.
Eight years ago, Kent’s retired crushed was the country for the highest basal for immoderate wicket for the club: 382 shared by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly against Northamptonshire.
Fixture: August 17, Kent v Lancashire, MBC
Jofra Archer got immoderate much-needed crippled clip nether his loop for Sussex Second XI astatine Beckenham (pictured) past twelvemonth - a installation that Kent stock with Crystal Palace Football Club
Blackpool
Stanley Park celebrated its 100th first-class lucifer 2 years ago. Its 101st coincided with Ben Stokes, pounding successful from adjacent to wherever the hotdog seller had pitched his van, taking 5 wickets successful the 2nd innings of a Durham decision past May.
The celebrated Blackpool Tower tin beryllium seen broadside connected to the crease and though the players nary longer heap down to the Pleasure Beach for turns connected the Wild Mouse arsenic they did successful the time of Mail Sport’s David Lloyd, determination is nary regularisation connected paying punters doing so.
Fixture: June 22, Lancashire v Kent, CC
Ben Stokes successful enactment for Durham successful Blackpool past year, with Blackpool Tower successful the distance
Cheltenham
The assemblage crushed has been a first-class venue since WG Grace christened it with a twelve wickets successful Gloucestershire’s innings triumph implicit Surrey mode backmost successful 1872.
Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s caput coach, reckons festival fortnight, erstwhile the marquees spell up successful beforehand of the Victorian chapel, makes it specified a peculiar spot to play.
It was besides a peculiar spot to ticker past July erstwhile James Bracey held a spectacular drawback disconnected the last shot to contradict Glamorgan a grounds first-class pursuit of 593 - the lucifer finishing successful a tie.
Fixture: July 29, Gloucestershire v Middlesex, CC
Chesterfield
Wedged successful a Victorian park, with the town’s celebrated crooked religion spire peeking down upon it, this crushed has hosted Derbyshire fixtures since the 19th century.
It has featured immoderate bonzer feats, specified arsenic Peter Smith hitting 163 from fig 11 for Essex successful 1947, and welcomingly offers encouragement for the spinners.
Hire 1 of the Queen’s Park deckchairs, beryllium backmost and bask a Bakewell tart crystal cream. I kid you not. It’s a must!
Fixture: July 6, Derbyshire v Yorkshire, VB
Kibworth
Leicestershire volition play astatine the location of their regular nine champions for a 3rd consecutive year, and with this 1 being an East Midlands derby, their biggest assemblage yet: the 2024 sojourn of Surrey drew 1,350 spectators, a 25% summation connected the erstwhile summer’s triumph implicit Essex.
An idyllic nine mounting allows for sitting connected the writer beyond the bound and for youngsters to task the different broadside of the enactment to play connected the outfield during intervals. A existent throwback to the 1970s and 80s erstwhile this was communal practice.
Fixture: August 13, Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire, MBC
Fans tin beryllium connected the writer beyond the bound to ticker Leicestershire play astatine Kibworth (pictured)
Neath
Adjacent to the rugby club, the Gnoll offers a picturesque alternate to Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens for Glamorgan fans and has been location to packed houses since a 28-year lack was ended for the 2022 Metro Bank Cup campaign.
As successful the past mates of seasons, the Welsh region volition big 2 matches successful the westbound of Wales. It past welcomed first-class cricket 30 years agone erstwhile a Young Australia XI featuring Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist were successful town.
Fixture: August 5, Glamorgan v Hampshire, MBC
Rugby
Setting up a festival astatine a nationalist schoolhouse is not rather the aforesaid arsenic taking cricket into the community, but it hasn’t stopped Warwickshire’s enthusiasm for their engagement with a younger audience, championing the activities disposable to children astatine matches specified arsenic look coating and acting arsenic guards of honour for the players.
Twice past summertime they sold retired the 3,000 capacity, contributing to a large ambiance and raising anticipation for a instrumentality for 3 much 50-over contests this August.
Fixture: August 10, Warwickshire v Northamptonshire, MBC
Scarborough
A crushed of immense sentimental value for followers of Yorkshire, North Marine Road was wherever a 33-year hold for the County Championship pennant ended successful 2001 erstwhile David Byas, a section husbandman arsenic good arsenic nine captain, deed a 100 and took the winning catch, starring him to say: ‘It’s similar a fairy tale.’
Flanked by hotels, its seaside determination offers some location and distant supporters the accidental for a mini-break. The other bounce successful the pitches makes for large games.
Fixture: July 22, Yorkshire v Surrey, CC
Yorkshire's retired crushed connected North Marine Road (pictured) is flanked by hotels
It is besides adjacent to Scarborough beach, offering fans the accidental to person a mini-break
Sookholme
The location of the Welbeck Colliery nine successful Market Warsop, northbound Nottinghamshire, was developed by retired section businessman John Fretwell up of the 2007 play and has been utilized arsenic an alternate to their accepted location for white-ball games since 2015.
Notts enactment connected a escaped autobus for members from Trent Bridge portion Mansfield bid presumption is simply a abbreviated tin thrust away.
The writer banks astatine the perimeter of the crushed mean that picnic rugs alternatively than chairs are the bid of the time here.
Fixture: August 5, Nottinghamshire v Essex, MBC
(Key: CC - County Championship, VB - Vitality Blast, MBC - Metro Bank Cup)
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