J. Samuel White's Ground (also known as Plessey Ground) is a sports ground in Park Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. The ground is owned by the Isle of Wight Council and is surrounded by residential housing. A multitude of sports have been played at the ground, including cricket, football and bowls.[1]
| Ground information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Cowes, Isle of Wight | ||
| Coordinates | 50°45′26″N 1°18′44″W / 50.7572°N 1.3121°W | ||
| Establishment | 1953 | ||
| Owner | Isle of Wight Council | ||
| Team information | |||
| |||
| As of 30 December 2011 Source: Ground profile | |||
History
editThe ground was originally owned by J. Samuel White & Co. Ltd., a ship builders based in Cowes. The company constructed the ground in 1953, with construction being funded by subscriptions from employees of the company.[2] Hampshire first played first-class cricket there three years later in 1956, when Worcestershire were the visitors in the County Championship,[3] with Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie scoring the maiden century on the ground in Hampshire's first-innings, followed by Laddy Outschoorn in Worcestershire's second-innings. The match ended in a draw.[4] Hampshire played a match there each year until 1962, playing seven first-class matches there.[3] However, J.Samuel White & Co. Ltd. fell on hard times, with the company's Cowes shipyard closing in 1963, bringing to an end Hampshire's use of the ground.[2] The ground was sought after for development, but planning was refused, with the ground falling into disuse.[2]
The ground was later bought in 1978 by the Isle of Wight County Council. The council sought to offload the ground to a community-based organisation in 1984, with a lease being agreed with the Plessey Club.[1] The Milne Memorial Sports Ground Co. Ltd (named after Sir James Milne, C.B.E. 1896–1966, managing director 1941–1962, J. Samuel White[5]) was formed in 1985 to acquire the lease and manage the day-to-day running of the club. When first acquired, the clubs membership was only open to employees and ex-employees of Plessey's and J. Samuel White & Co.[1] Having been disused by until 1984, the cricket ground and football grounds had been used for hay making, the tennis courts and bowling greens were in a state of disrepair, as was the pavilion. The club borrowed £65,000 to extend the pavilion and £10,000 to building a new clubhouse for the bowling greens.[1] Hampshire returned there for a match in 1987 in aid of Malcolm Marshall's benefit,[2] though the game didn't carry first-class or List A status. Today, the cricket ground is used by Cowes Cricket Club.[6] More recently, the club was able to acquire National Lottery funding to the tune of £330,000 for an indoor bowls facility, though this was only possible by club members lending £100,000 themselves. The club is today open to membership for all residents of the Isle of Wight.[1][7]
Records
editFirst-class
edit- Highest team total: 398 by Glamorgan v Hampshire, 1960[8]
- Lowest team total: 84 by Leicestershire v Hampshire, 1958[9]
- Highest individual innings: 154* by Laddy Outschoorn for Worcestershire v Hampshire, 1956[10]
- Best bowling in an innings: 7-81 by Derek Shackleton for Hampshire v Nottinghamshire, 1957[11]
- Best bowling in a match: 13-135 by Derek Shackleton, as above[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "History of IWCC". www.iw-communityclub.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Ground profile: J. Samuel White's Ground". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ a b "First-Class Matches played on J Samuel White's Ground, Cowes". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Hampshire v Worcestershire, 1956 County Championship". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Death of Sir James Milne". Isle of Wight County Press. 28 May 1966. p. 10.
- ^ "Cowes Cricket Club". www.cowes.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Isle of Wight Community Club". www.iw-communityclub.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Hampshire v Glamorgan, 1960 County Championship". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "J Samuel White's Ground, Cowes - Lowest Team Totals in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "J Samuel White's Ground, Cowes - Centuries in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "J Samuel White's Ground, Cowes - Seven Wickets in an Innings in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "J Samuel White's Ground, Cowes - Most Wickets in a Match in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
External links
edit- J. Samuel White's Ground at CricketArchive
- J. Samuel White's Ground at ESPNcricinfo