First-class cricket on holiday. That is how Scarborough was once described and the depiction could apply now to Newclose on the Isle of Wight, a setting created out of agricultural land with the tang of sea salt on the breeze. It is part a joyous revival of the game on out-grounds after so many have been discarded for economic and logistical reasons.
Hampshire no longer play at Basingstoke, Bournemouth or Portsmouth, but have returned to the Isle of Wight for the first time since 1962 as a consequence of World Cup matches taking place at the Ageas Bowl. And next year the Hundred will ensure that the fixture list will be clogged up still further so, all being well, they will be back.
Even if, as is likely, they make a loss on these four days. “We have to play somewhere,” as the chief executive David Mann put it.
A local businessman, Brian Gardener, was so keen to build his own venue that he invested £2 million in this creation, including purchasing white benches from Lord’s to place in front of the pavilion and designing a scoreboard that was a replica of one at the Oval. MCC and Hampshire second XI took the ferry to stage their own representative matches and now, ten years on, first-class cricket is a reality.
Gardener, alas, has died, and his son, Martin, is not so keen on cricket. He wants to sell up, for about £1 million, but is insistent that Newclose remains primarily a cricket venue.
Scope
There is scope for building a hotel and for staging weddings and conferences. Three interested parties have come and gone. Now an inquiry has been made by a representative of Sheikh Nahyan, chairman of the United Arab Emirates Cricket Board.
“I welcome their interest and want to preserve my father’s legacy,” Gardener said. The crowd on this first day of the County Championship game with Nottinghamshire, about 2,000, was more than would have been at the Ageas Bowl. There was the odd Portaloo problem and the beer ran out. Some early summer bees caused an umpire and several players to drop to the ground.
As to the pitch, which has been cut under the supervision of Nigel Gray, Hampshire’s groundsman, there was some movement for the medium pacers, doggedly confronted by Joe Weatherley, who made 66, and Oli Soames, who batted for two sessions for 44 and was out straight after tea.
Hampshire’s batting then fell away against the moving ball, but there was barely a ripple in the crowd. At out-grounds, what occurs in the middle is only one aspect of the experience.
Scorecard
Hampshire no longer play at Basingstoke, Bournemouth or Portsmouth, but have returned to the Isle of Wight for the first time since 1962 as a consequence of World Cup matches taking place at the Ageas Bowl. And next year the Hundred will ensure that the fixture list will be clogged up still further so, all being well, they will be back.
Even if, as is likely, they make a loss on these four days. “We have to play somewhere,” as the chief executive David Mann put it.
A local businessman, Brian Gardener, was so keen to build his own venue that he invested £2 million in this creation, including purchasing white benches from Lord’s to place in front of the pavilion and designing a scoreboard that was a replica of one at the Oval. MCC and Hampshire second XI took the ferry to stage their own representative matches and now, ten years on, first-class cricket is a reality.
Gardener, alas, has died, and his son, Martin, is not so keen on cricket. He wants to sell up, for about £1 million, but is insistent that Newclose remains primarily a cricket venue.
Scope
There is scope for building a hotel and for staging weddings and conferences. Three interested parties have come and gone. Now an inquiry has been made by a representative of Sheikh Nahyan, chairman of the United Arab Emirates Cricket Board.
“I welcome their interest and want to preserve my father’s legacy,” Gardener said. The crowd on this first day of the County Championship game with Nottinghamshire, about 2,000, was more than would have been at the Ageas Bowl. There was the odd Portaloo problem and the beer ran out. Some early summer bees caused an umpire and several players to drop to the ground.
As to the pitch, which has been cut under the supervision of Nigel Gray, Hampshire’s groundsman, there was some movement for the medium pacers, doggedly confronted by Joe Weatherley, who made 66, and Oli Soames, who batted for two sessions for 44 and was out straight after tea.
Hampshire’s batting then fell away against the moving ball, but there was barely a ripple in the crowd. At out-grounds, what occurs in the middle is only one aspect of the experience.
Scorecard
