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25
Aug
Could Harrogate Cricket Club host a Yorkshire match again?
Historically, Yorkshire County Cricket Club has used multiple grounds to play cricket across Yorkshire.
Over the years, Bradford, York, Scarborough and Harrogate have all hosted the county-level team when they are not using their main home ground at Headingley.
The Tykes have also made their intentions clear that they are looking for more outgrounds in the south of the county to host matches in the future.
The last time Harrogate was used as a venue for a first-class match was in 1996, when Yorkshire beat Hampshire by 10 wickets.
Yorkshire's fixtures at York were a major success this year, drawing large crowds and Scarborough retains its historic appeal despite large ticket price rises this year.
It all begs the question – could Harrogate Cricket Club host a Yorkshire Match again?
The Stray Ferret spoke to Harrogate Cricket Club chairman Steve Clark this week to find out more.
Facilities
Harrogate Cricket Club occasionally hosts Yorkshire's women’s team and the men’s second team, but its facilities are not adequate to host first-class cricket.
Mr Clark said there is work to be done to get there:
We’re not ready for that yet – maybe in three or four years.
We’d need more seats for starters. If you look at York, they have a stand full of people for Yorkshire games. We could bring in a stand, but it would cost money, and the fact would remain that we don’t have the infrastructure.
Some of the current seating arrangements at the Harrogate Cricket Club.
The chairman added neither the front nor back pitches are up to a first-class standard, and that the club is working towards achieving that.
Modern first-class cricket also require high-grade facilities in areas such as changing rooms, media infrastructure and broadcasting facilities. Harrogate would require major upgrades to meet the England and Wales Cricket Board standards.
Finances
Upgrading facilities costs money, and Harrogate Cricket Club has recently raised significant funds for club nets and community nets.
Better wickets would be needed. Mr Clark said that for the front pitch to be resurfaced to meet first-class standards, it could cost the club around £7,500.
The Harrogate first-team pitch.
If you were to add the costs of resurfacing, new wickets, erecting a stand, and improving media facilities and changing rooms, it could comfortably cost more than £100,000.
It may also be expensive for Yorkshire to host first-team matches in Harrogate.
With the ground not currently prepared for first-class matches, the cost to temporarily equip it may outweigh the revenue brought in, compared to established venues like Scarborough and York. This was part of the reason the Tykes ceased playing at outgrounds such as Harrogate and Bradford in the 1990s.
Strategic focus
Even if Harrogate had the facilities to host first-class cricket, it may not be a priority for the Yorkshire side.
Yorkshire’s current search for venues in South Yorkshire suggests the club’s focus lies elsewhere. Since it departed from Abbeydale Park in Sheffield in 1996, the south of the county has remained underrepresented.
Given Harrogate’s proximity to both Leeds and York – cities that already host first-class matches – it’s likely to be low on Yorkshire’s list of priority grounds for a potential return.
So, could Harrogate host a Yorkshire first-team match again?
Put simply, at the moment, no. However, that is not a definitive long-term answer.
Should the ground continue to grow and upgrade its facilities, it could be ready to welcome Yorkshire's stars back to St George’s Road in the not-so-distant future.
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