An evocative roll call of the county cricket grounds we’ve lost in the past 60 years ...

County cricket being played in Portsmouth. Picture by David Garvey

Cities such as Sheffield, Hull, Bradford and Coventry have also been consigned to the cricketing history books, as well as a host of towns from the west country to the north west and most parts in between. Portsmouth actually lasted a lot longer than a lot of others.

Today, our main county stadia boost unromantic names such as the Cloudfm County Ground (Chelmsford), The Cooper Associates County Ground (Taunton), The Pattonair County Ground (Derbyshire), The 1st Central County Ground (Hove) and The Fischer County Ground (Leicester).

Compare to those names to the following which all appeared on the Championship fixture list 60 years ago: Snibston Colliery (Coalville), Bat & Ball Ground (Gravesend), The Circle (Hull), Ind Coope Ground (Burton), Ynysangharad Park (Pontypridd), Vista Road Recreation Ground (Clacton), Steel Company of Wales Ground (Margam), The Saffrons (Eastbourne), Valentine’s Park (Ilford), Erinoid Ground (Stroud) and The Rectory Field (Blackheath).

General view of county cricket taking place at the Recreation Ground in Bath, which held its last first class game in 2006. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images.

An evocative roll call, indeed; conjuring up images of a time long ago of miners, steelworkers and brewers.

And how can anywhere named The Saffrons or Vista Road or Valentine’s Park not be just a great place on a summer’s day to watch some cricket?

Here is a list of outgrounds that were used by the first class counties during the 1960 Championship season. In brackets is the year that the last Championship game took place.

Derbyshire: Burton (1980), Ilkeston (1994), Buxton (1986)

Essex: Ilford (2002), Romford (1968), Brentwood (1969), Westcliff-on-Sea (1976), Leyton (1977), Southend Glamorgan: Pontypridd (1990), Llanelli (1965), Neath (1992), Cardiff Arms Park (1966), Ebbw Vale (1983), Margam (1962)

Gloucestershire: Stroud (1963), Wagon Works Ground, Gloucester (1992), Imperial Athletic Ground, Bristol (1966)

Hampshire: Portsmouth (2000), Cowes (1962), Bournemouth (1992)

Kent: Dartford (1990), Gravesend (1970), Blackheath (1971), Maidstone (2005), Dover (1976)

(2004), Clacton (1966), Colchester (2016)

Lancashire: Blackpool (2011)

Leicestershire: Coalville (1982), Loughborough (1965), Hinkley (1964), Ashby-de-la-Zouch (1964)

Northants: Kettering (1971), Wellingborough (1991), Peterborough (1966)

Notts: Worksop (1998)

Somerset: Bath (2006), Yeovil (1967), Glastonbury (1973), Weston-super-Mare (1996)

Sussex: Worthing (1964), Hastings (1989), Eastbourne (2000)

Warwickshire: Nuneaton (1989), Coventry (1982)

Worcestershire: Dudley (1971), Amblecote (1981)

Yorkshire: Bradford (1996), Hull (1974), Sheffield (1973), Middlesbrough (1996), Harrogate (1996)

In contrast, there were only 17 outgrounds used in the 2019 first class season, and there was a major mitigating circumstance behind the figure being even as high as that.

The number was boosted by five grounds hosting their first ever Championship game due to major stadiums hosting World Cup matches.

Hampshire, for example, visited the Isle of Wight to play their maiden first-class game at Newport’s Newclose ground.

Nettleworth (Notts), Sedbergh (Lancashire), Radlett (Middlesex) and York (Yorkshire) were also used with Trent Bridge, Old Trafford, Lord’s and Headingley already booked.

Had the pandemic never happened, only nine outgrounds were due to stage a Championship game in 2020.

They were: Middlesex - Northwood; Sussex - Arundel; Yorkshire - Scarborough (two games); Derbyshire - Chesterfield; Glamorgan - Colwyn Bay; Gloucestershire - Cheltenham (two games); Kent - Beckenham; Worcestershire - Kidderminster; Surrey - Guildford.