Southchurch Park is a recreational park in Southchurch, a suburb in the city of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The park is 12 hectares (30 acres) in area and contains sports pitches, including a cricket ground formerly used by Essex County Cricket Club, formal gardens, a boating lake and a café.[1]

Southchurch Park
Southchurch Park lake
Southchurch Park is located in Essex
Southchurch Park
Location in Essex
LocationSouthchurch, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Area12 hectares (30 acres)

Cricket ground

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Southchurch Park
Ground information
LocationSouthend, Essex
Establishment1906 (first recorded match)
Capacity6,000
End names
Northumberland Crescent End
Boating Lake End
Team information
Essex (1906–1907, 1914–1964, 1966, 1968 & 1977–2004)
As of 12 September 2010
Source: Ground profile

The first recorded cricket match on the ground was in 1906, when Essex County Cricket Club played their inaugural first-class match there, beating Leicestershire by five wickets. Essex played 130 first-class matches at Southchurch Park between 1906 and 2004, playing their final first-class match there against Nottinghamshire in the 2004 County Championship.[2]

In addition, the ground has also hosted List-A matches, the first of which came in the 1977 John Player League and saw Essex play Middlesex. From 1977 to 2004, the ground held 28 List-A matches, the last of which saw Essex play Northamptonshire in the 2004 totesport League.[3]

The ground has also held 19 Second XI fixtures between 1972 and 1996 for the Essex Second XI in the Second XI Championship and Second XI Trophy.[4][5]

The ground has hosted tourist matches, with the highest ever number of runs scored on one day occurred at Southchurch Park in a match between Australia and Essex on the 14 May 1948, when Australia scored 721 all out.[6]

In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home venue of Southend-on-Sea and EMT Cricket Club.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Neal-Goddard, Sorrell. "Southchurch Park". www.southend.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. ^ First-Class Matches played on Southchurch Park
  3. ^ List-A Matches played on Southchurch Park
  4. ^ Second XI Championship Matches played on Southchurch Park
  5. ^ Second XI Trophy Matches played on Southchurch Park
  6. ^ N. D. McWhirter (1988). Guinness Book of Records 1989. Guinness Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 9780851128788.
  7. ^ Southend-on-Sea and EMT Cricket Club
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51°31′58″N 0°44′08″E / 51.53291°N 0.73547°E / 51.53291; 0.73547