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The County Ground is a cricket ground in Taunton, Somerset. It is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club, who have played there since 1882. The ground, which is located between Priory Bridge Road and St James Street, has a capacity of 8,500.〔 The ground was originally built as part of a sports centre by Taunton Athletic Club in 1881, and became the home of the previously nomadic Somerset County Cricket Club soon after. After leasing the ground for ten years, the club bought the ground in 1896, under the guidance of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon. The ground ends are the River End to the north and the Old Pavilion End to the south. Somerset played their first match of first-class cricket on the ground over 8–10 August 1882, beating Hampshire County Cricket Club by five wickets. Later in the same month, the touring Australia national cricket team played a match against Somerset, becoming the first international side to play at the ground. The first international cricket to be played on the ground was during the 1983 Cricket World Cup, for a group-stage match between England and Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted two group-stage matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup and will also be a venue for the tournament in 2019. Since 1997, women's international cricket has been played at the ground, and in 2006 it became the home of the England women's cricket team. The ground will next see (men's) international cricket in 2017, with a T20I tie between England and South Africa.〔(Somerset CCC ) ''Somerset host International Cricket in two years!'' (3 January 2015)〕 ==History== In the winter of 1880, Somerset County Cricket Club, prompted by an article in the ''Somerset County Gazette'' describing cricket in Taunton as being "in a sorry plight",〔Roebuck (1991), p24.〕 were considering building their own ground. Athletics was booming in the town, and it was an amalgamation of sporting clubs that leased seven and a half acres of land known as "Rack Field" from local gentleman farmer John Winter for £50 per year. A cricket pitch, cycling-track and running-track were all laid on the ground with great difficulty; with the land lying next to the River Tone. Although Edward Western promised that Somerset could play fixtures on the ground, he acknowledged that the cricket pitch belonged to Taunton Cricket Club. The new sports centre was opened on Whit Monday 1881, with an athletics fixture held on the newly laid running-track to mark the occasion. Although some cricket was played at the ground in 1881, it was not yet ready for first-class matches. Taunton Athletic Society, thanks to money raised by Western, funded the erection of a grandstand and pavilion on the ground ready for a 15-mile bicycle race between French champion Frédéric De Civry and John Keen in August 1881.〔Roebuck (1991), pp24–25.〕 Known as the Taunton Athletic Ground, Somerset County Cricket Club played their maiden first-class game there in 1882.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=First-Class Matches played on County Ground, Taunton (804) )〕 Originally a nomadic club, Somerset played their home matches across the county, relying on the good will of other people.〔Foot (1986), p26.〕 Four first-class matches were played at the ground in 1882; after a five-wicket victory over Hampshire County Cricket Club in the first match, Somerset failed to win any of the remaining games, culminating in an innings and 19 run loss against the touring Australians. Somerset lost their briefly held first-class status in 1886, but in the same year took out a nineteen-year lease on the Athletic Ground. The more loyal members of the club had decided that there was a need to restructure the club and have a permanent home. Somerset regained their first-class status after an unbeaten season in 1890, winning the so-called 'Second-class County Championship'.〔Foot (1986), pp26–27.〕 The first official County Championship match was played at the ground in 1891, a nine-wicket loss to Lancashire.〔 In 1896, ten years after taking out the lease on the ground, the freehold was purchased by the club for £2,000. Under the administration of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon, the small ground was developed, with trees planted along the boundary.〔 By the start of the twentieth century, the ground was, according to Roebuck, "an intimate and lovely place".〔Roebuck (1991), p. 103.〕 A section of the ground known as the "Hen Coop" was used by the important families in Taunton, and although there were no official seat reservations, no one else occupied these seats in the absence of their regular user. For the less well off, hard benches were placed around much of the ground, and the floor was used by many others, particularly under some chestnut trees. A public bar was erected soon after, and was well used, especially after the First World War.〔 In 1925, some of the seats were removed in one corner of the ground, and a hill was built to provide a superior view of the ground, using 400 lorry-loads of earth.〔Roebuck (1991), p. 155.〕 During the Second World War, the ground, like many others in the country, was lent to the military. It was used by local soldiers and firemen alike, but the groundsman was careful to maintain the cricket surface throughout the war, in preparation for use again at its conclusion.〔Roebuck (1991), p. 221.〕 In 1989 the Somerset Cricket Museum was opened at the ground within the Old Priory Barn, a Grade II * listed building. The exhibits and displays in the museum primarily cover the cricket club's history including Test match players such as Ian Botham and Marcus Trescothick. It also has a section devoted to the England women's cricket team, due to the County Ground being their headquarters. The museum also hosts a collection of I Zingari memorabilia, a club to whom current chairman Charles Clive Ponsonby-Fane has strong family links.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=I Zingari )〕 In June 2010, Somerset County Cricket Club officially reopened 'The Colin Atkinson Pavilion' after undergoing GBP1.25 million ($1.8 million) of redevelopment - this, together with the construction of the Marcus Trescothick Stand (in 2008), the Somerset Stand (in 2009), and the Ondaatje Pavilion (in 2011) has enhanced the capacity of the County Ground to 8,500;〔 it is part of phased development plans which will eventually see the venue expand to a capacity of up to 15,000 (including temporary seating) and capable of hosting Test matches. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「County Ground, Taunton」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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