[themaclad]

Northants Away

The County Ground is a cricket venue on Wantage Road in the Abington area of Northampton, England. It is home to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

It is known to be a venue which favours spinners, and in the last County Championship game of 2005, Northamptonshire's two spin bowlers Jason Brown and Monty Panesar took all 20 wickets for Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire played their first match at the ground in 1886 before competing in the Minor Counties Championship competition between 1895 and 1904, winning the title three times. They were accepted into the County Championship and played their first first-class match at the ground on 5 June 1905. Northamptonshire drew with Leicestershire in a rain-hit match that only permitted 75 overs of play.

The County Ground hosted two 1999 Cricket World Cup matches: South Africa's victory over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh's first World Cup victory against eventual finalists Pakistan by 62 runs.

Sir Elton John played the first ever concert at the County Ground on 25 June 2011. The show lasted for over two and a half hours. Sir Elton was supported by Ed Drewett.[4] Subsequent concerts have included Tom Jones, Olly Murs, Little Mix and Craig David/Rita Ora.

While the two sports clubs shared the ground, the cricket club's address was 'Wantage Road' whereas the football club's address was 'Abington Avenue'.


MEMORABLE NORTHANS CRICKETER

Colin Milburn (nicknamed Ollie; 23 October 1941 – 28 February 1990)[1] was an English cricketer, who played in nine Test matches for England, before an accident led to the loss of much of his sight and prompted his retirement.

Cricker writer Colin Bateman commented, "he was a clean, natural hitter of the ball who had an infectious zest for the game and life". Bateman added, "he hit the ball with the strength of a lumberjack and he had the courage of a lion, but he was no Neanderthal clubber".[1]

In 1960, Milburn signed for Northamptonshire because they offered 10 shillings a week more than Warwickshire.[3] He soon made a name for himself with his forceful strokeplay and useful medium-paced bowling, backed up by a larger-than-life, gregarious and convivial personality. By 1963 he was being talked about for the England team, but an indifferent game for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Frank Worrell's West Indians meant he was passed over. He also taught PE during the off season at Cherry Orchard SM School in Northampton, just about a mile from the site of his later accident.

Test career
Milburn had a reputation as an all-or-nothing batsman, sparkling centuries alternating with indifferent scores, but by 1966 he had forced himself back into the Test reckoning. Selected for the First Test against the West Indies, he had the most ignominious start for an opener, run out for a first-innings duck.[1] He redeemed himself with 94 in the second innings as England went down to a heavy defeat. An aggressive century (126 not out) helped England to draw the Second Test, and despite standing up courageously to the formidable Caribbean pace attack in the following matches, he was dropped for the final Test, supposedly because his bulk hindered his mobility in the field.[1] Milburn's riposte was typical of the man, an innings of 203 for Northamptonshire against Essex. His swashbuckling season earned him a nomination as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in the 1967 edition.

That winter Milburn travelled to Australia, where he played Sheffield Shield cricket for Western Australia.[1] He played a Test against India and against Pakistan in 1967, and was selected to tour the West Indies in the winter, where he was much more successful off the field than on. He was picked for the Lord's Test against Australia in 1968, scoring 83, mostly before lunch on the second day, almost all of the first being lost to rain. He had been listed to bat at number six, but was sent in with an aggressive move by England at the fall of the first wicket. The fact that he was an experienced opener was presumably a factor, the first wicket falling quite early. Milburn returned to Perth, where he enjoyed a prolific season for Western Australia.[1] The highlight was an innings of 243 against Queensland in Brisbane, where he scored 181 runs between lunch and tea.[4] Milburn was called up in an emergency to reinforce the MCC touring party in Pakistan. He scored a spectacular 139 in the Karachi Test in March 1969, before it was abandoned because of rioting.[1] It was his highest Test score in what would prove to be his final Test innings.[1]

Injury and retirement
Returning to Northampton for the 1969 season, Milburn started out with 158 against Leicestershire. On 23 May, he was returning home when he was involved in a motor accident. This cost him the sight of his left eye, the lead eye for a right-handed batsman. His right eye was also damaged.[1] Taking as an example the Nawab of Pataudi, who had resumed his career after suffering eye damage, Milburn harboured thoughts of a comeback. On 8 January 1971, The Times reported his retirement, but Milburn did return in 1973 and 1974.[1] However, he was a shadow of his former self, and these games did little beyond reducing his career batting average.


Always a favourite of mine

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