Warrington Town Hall to commemorate Lancashire's first ever fixture
A cricket afternoon to commemorate the first Lancashire match, played in the grounds of Warrington Town Hall, is set to be held this Sunday at the Town Hall to Warrington’s crucial role in the beginnings of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
While the Red Rose county play at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, Lancashire played their first ever match in Warrington 160 years ago at Bank Park, Warrington.
To mark the anniversary, the Town Hall is hosting a commemorative afternoon on Sunday 29 September. It will take place from 12 till 3pm.
There will be a range of activities on the day, including:
- An exhibition within the Town Hall provided by Lancashire Cricket, with ex-cricket players Barry Wood and John Abrahams, and Lancashire Thunder’s Hannah Jones also in attendance
- Coaching opportunities, including batting and bowling masterclasses, by Lancashire Cricket Club and LiveWire
- An under 9s tournament is also taking place on Bank Park between 12pm and 2pm, followed by a trophy presentation
Please note, that the events and activities are subject to change.
Warrington Cricket Club’s Bank Hall ground was chosen to host the inaugural game of Lancashire Cricket Club - which took place on 15-16 June 1864 - due to the town’s central location. The oldest cricket club in Cheshire, Birkenhead Park, who had previously played against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords and Surrey at the Oval, joined forces with the Gentlemen of Cheshire to oppose Lancashire in the match.
The game ended in a draw with Lancashire scoring 169 and 78 in their two innings, while their opponents scored 143 in their first innings and were on the verge of victory being just 15 runs short of their target when play drew to a close.
Cllr Jean Flaherty, deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council, said: “I can’t wait to welcome people to the Town Hall for this fantastic event, celebrating the 160th anniversary of Lancashire Cricket Club's first match, here in Warrington.
“This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a piece of cricketing history and celebrate Warrington's role in the rich history of one of England's greatest clubs. Make sure you join us!”.
Sandy Mitchell, Head of Heritage & Community Wellbeing at Lancashire Cricket, added: “The history and heritage of Lancashire Cricket is something we are extremely proud of and we are excited to honour the beginning of the club in this special and unique way. I would urge Lancashire supporters both young and old to come along and find out more about the history of this great club a little bit more.”
This unique cricket event is organised by the Friends of Warrington Town Hall, Lancashire Cricket, the Cheshire Cricket Board and Warrington Borough Council.