Continuing the discussion from the Middlesex game thread.
Which grounds in the county to people suggest would be viable for a first team ground away from edgbaston? Remember that the ground needs to have a high quality wicket and outfield, hav space for spectators, catering and parking, plus meet the ECB regulations for facilities.

for various reasons the outgrounds used most recently fail to meet the criteria in at least one way, eg Stratford the outfield is too badly undulating after several flodings to be acceptable for First team cricket.

I'm open to Warwickshire using an outground but I can't think of one that's viable. Rugby school was terrible, poor viewing ground, uncomfortable and almost zero facilities.

Interested to hear other people's views/ideas.

It's been a few years since I last went, but I remember Cov & North Warwicks as a lovely ground, a good wicket and decent spectator/visitor facilities.

Of course, Cov has a big population on tbe doorstep, starved of County Cricket for many years. And if Dan M was playing, that might bring a few more in!

I'd like to see Nuneaton CC, Cov and North Warwick, Rugby, Kenilworth and Stratford on a rota.

The facilities thing is a complete red herring. Edgbaston is pretty basic for county games.

And of course the latest wicket at Edgbaston was pretty low quality. So there's another red herring there.

If there is a will there's a way but the present Executives think they are running a "stadium" (which is really a ground) rather than a County Cricket Club. I was shocked at the ignorance of a fairly prominent Non Exec member on a recent linked in discussion.

All the suggestions above would easily match and surpass Beckenham and the Middlesex outgrounds..

Uxbridge is woeful do Middlesex still use it?

Nuneaton CC is barely adequate in terms of facilities for club cricket, so is not sutable for first class or list A games.
The outfield at Stratford is very rutted and undulating so is not suitable. Also where do the spectators park?
The groundsman has changed at Cov & Nw and the pitches are currently very slow and have variable bounce.
Rugby School has no spectator facilities and the ground at Kenilworth CC is too small and they do not even hold county age group games.

The ECB have recently introduced new regulations about the quality of grounds and the facilies on the ground, including the size of changing and media areas,
Sadly, without massive costs, and local authority agreement, there is not currently a suitable club, or school, ground in the county.

I enjoy outground cricket, and have been to about 15 grounds over the years, however times and requirements change.

i love outgrounds that have plenty of character and atmosphere - Cheltenham comes to mind. And if it's in an impressive setting, so much the better. I mourn the loss of Abergavenny as a Glamorgan outground. But it probably wasn't really suitable in terms of size,, in that a Birmingham born batter was able to hit 16 sixes in an innings there.
I'm not at all sure that there is a Warwickshire ground that meets all the criteria. Of course, Portland Road was lined up pre-Covid to host 50 over games but that seems to have gone by the board. And it is so close to Edgbaston that it can't really appeal to a different clientele.
There is no doubt that this year, Edgbaston has had to host too many games and the ground staff haven't been able to maintain the quality of pitches.

It seems Middlesex pick one outground a year and play multiple games there. It was Radlett last year (which I went to, was nice but a weird slope and virtually all facilities were brought in) OMT school this year, Richmond in the past and a long time ago Uxbridge. Doesnt seem to be much difference between them as the same ubiquitious stack of folding chairs have been at all of them. On the Middlesex experience, there's no problem Warks playing at any of the grounds, as someone said where there's a will there's a way, but respect the answers of those who say grounds don't work for whatever reason.

Andy wrote:

Uxbridge is woeful do Middlesex still use it?

Yep its all about will not about regs.

There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.

BosworthBear wrote:

Yep its all about will not about regs.

There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.

Done right they will attract bigger crowds than at Edgbaston (as Griff & Coton used to show)

It is a decision based on the financial realities of hosting a game at a club ground. It costs a lot more to host a game on an outground, as addiditional temporary facilities and equipment will need to be hired.

It would be totally illogical to host a game elsewhere when the result would be a significant financial loss.

For the record, the last first class game at Grif and Coton was 35 years ago, and the last multi day 2nd team game 25 years ago.

It is rather a pity that there is no viable option at present. Be lovely to have a town centre setting in a tourist honeypot like York somewhere within the county of Warwickshire. Just a shame that there is no such facility in Coventry, Warwick, Leamington, Rugby, Tamworth or Nuneaton.

One option would be to look outside the county. A location within easy reach via direct rail line and a town centre setting. Kidderminster would do for a one off. Maybe even Stourbridge or slightly out of town but Himley might suffice. Or how about further afield Derby or Banbury or Cheltenham or perhaps take a game to Brum on sea Weston-Super-Mare?. Trouble is it's not the 1980's anymore a fixture at Brum-on-sea wouldn't be the kind of pull it might've been 40 years ago.

I know Staffordshire CCC quite like using Himley for their minor county games and Banbury is an excellent minor county ground. These ideas wouldn't please or attract many spectators (unless scheduled for fixture versus Northants or Gloucestershire) but it might assist the ground staff at Edgbaston and may pave the way for a more regular slot within the county once Kenilworth's new ground for example is completed

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

It's almost certainly right that the costs of staging a match at an outground would make it a poor option financially.
I guess that what you can't quantify is the benefit in the long term to the Club if, say, a young boy or girl goes along to a match at an outground because it's local to them, falls in love with cricket and with Warwickshire and supports the Club for the rest of their life. No accountant is going to be able to put that on their balance sheet.

There’s also the question of whether the club exists solely to make a profit.

Exiled Bear wrote:

There’s also the question of whether the club exists solely to make a profit.

If there are any accountants on here, they have probably read this and fainted.

Highveld wrote:

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

Cleethorpes have hosted Notts, Sedburgh hosts rained off Lancs matches, Colwyn Bay and Aberystwyth hosts Glamorgan, Scarborough semi-regularly hosts Durham these days, even Yorkshire with all their facilities have played home matches in Derbyshire

As one off's to ease fixture congestion at Edgbaston Derby/New Road (which was slated to host a game in 2019) are viable options

England have 15 test matches in 2024 and yet there are still noises from within the ECB on about reducing the number of matches counties play. Seems illogical. Give county championship August back and outgrounds can flourish again

I'm not sure why lack of "facilities" is cited as a reason not to play at outgrounds. As long as there is enough space and a decent pitch, that's all that really matters. Everything else can be brought in: seating, marquees, vendors, toilets etc.
Warwickshire is a county cricket club and it does not revolve around Edgbaston, despite its "facilities" in the members lounge.

Highveld wrote:

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

The rule that a County has to have "established links", to move to a ground outside the County, clearly allows for us to have games in Staffordshire. We have a very close development relationship with Staffs. There must be loads of good quality grounds in the Black Country, or elsewhere. Staffs MC play in Stoke and Stone, I know Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich (Dartmouth) used to have great facilities - but its been many years since I've been, so don't know what they're like now. Thoughts?

Bald_Reynard wrote:

Highveld wrote:

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

The rule that a County has to have "established links", to move to a ground outside the County, clearly allows for us to have games in Staffordshire. We have a very close development relationship with Staffs. There must be loads of good quality grounds in the Black Country, or elsewhere. Staffs MC play in Stoke and Stone, I know Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich (Dartmouth) used to have great facilities - but its been many years since I've been, so don't know what they're like now. Thoughts?

This season Staffs NCCCA team has played at West Brom Dartmouth, Himley and Smethwick in the Black Country. Dartmouth is an ideal venue for the Bears. Great wicket, wonderful spectator & clubhouse facilities and a large captive, cricket loving 'audience' on the doorstep - and literally a mile from the Birmingham boundary! What caps it all, is the facilities there are so good, they've been chosen to host the NCCA Championship Final, in September.

WBD IS the obvious candidate for any Outground game.